


The Weight of Living

by treadsoftly



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Multi, New Orleans, doppelgangers, i think that last tag is what im doing idk im new to this site
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-01-19 04:46:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 38,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1455907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treadsoftly/pseuds/treadsoftly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline was sure she was done with Doppelgangers and Originals. Apparently the universe has other plans. Enlisting herself to find Stefan's doppelganger, Caroline finds herself in New Orleans caught in the midst of a war and a treacherous, yet ancient, plan. (Canon up to middle of 5x17, AU from there, Caroline-centric, Klaroline, and ensemble TO/TVD cast)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello! This is my first multi chaptered klaroline fic and my first multi chaptered fic on this site so I'm still learning things about how everything works. Just so you know while reading, I don't care much for TO storyline, no baby plot, this starts up somewhere in the middle of TVD 5x17, you'll know where it becomes AU.
> 
> This is an idea that came to me to get Caroline in NOLA because I think it's such a tragedy that the writers don't want to explore Klaroline on screen. I'm hoping it won't be doppleganger-centric, I don't have a defined story line yet so we'll see what happens, I'm just sad Tom had to die so quickly. All the characters mentioned are tentative and will change. Tbh I haven't even fit Elena and Damon in what little of the story line i have so if you're looking for them, sorry. This will be very Klaroline centric with lots of yelling and blood and maybe a little working together, you never know. I hope you enjoy! I'm not a fan of this chapter as much, I like the next one a lot better. 
> 
> I'm a working, commuting college student so updates will be sporadic, random, and not scheduled, just a disclaimer. And also, I don't own any of these characters, the CW does of course.

Spring was upon them. It was in the crisp freshness of the air they didn't need to breathe and the chill the sunlight always seemed to burn away every morning. Dead plants were reawakening and birds began to sing the song of the morning as if rejuvenated. Though Klaus would never outwardly admit it, the colors of spring were some of his favorite to paint.

 

While winter didn't happen in New Orleans, at least not the sort that paints the town white, a current of cold air sweeps into the city but never stays too long. The sun loves New Orleans too much to relinquish its precious city to the clutches of cold for any longer than necessary. As Klaus roamed the streets, he noticed, pleasantly, the chill hadn't kept anyone in doors. The streets were crowded with people and flooded with alcohol. Patrons drank until the bite of the night pressed against rose cheeks felt like a lovers caress. The moment the sun set, the city came to life, pulsing under streetlights in a way only New Orleans knew how to do.

 

Klaus stood close to the shadows with a nostalgic grin, overlooking the city he had built and called home for nearly two centuries. A frown slowly formed at the knowledge that this magnificent city now belonged to a protégé he deemed long dead. And now he was determined to take it back despite the angry witches and Marcel's loyal vampires. He had half his family by his side and was missing his light. Nevertheless, he was determined. And being a hybrid was proof that Klaus was nothing if not patient.

 

His outing that night was called into order for a late night rendezvous with a chirping bird who claimed to have information he wanted. Klaus wasn't one to pass up the chance of possessing anything, but he also wasn't one to pass any one person's assumptions on his desires. This person had to be met.

 

"Are you just gonna stand there like a creep?"

 

And his smile fell. He heard her footsteps, her heartbeat, but hoped she was simply a human city goer. Alas, he didn't always get what he wants. "Hayley," he greeted without turning, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "As I recall, you're in enemy territory love." Turning gracefully on his heel, a wicked smile graced Klaus' face. "I must confess a curiosity as to what must be so important that you would be willing to risk that pretty little neck of yours."

 

"I have information that you may want," she replied, standing a little taller, refusing to be intimidated.

 

Klaus saw right through it. In his thousand years of living, Klaus could identify every tell when a person was lying or incredibly nervous. And Hayley was frightened. Thought he must admit, she did hide it well. Her heartbeat did however give it all away.  New Orleans may not be his yet, but Klaus had to admit, no wolves in the quarter was one of Marcel's rules he'd keep. It did disconcert him not knowing whether or not Hayley's fear came from risking her life in the quarter or speaking to the Original.

 

Instead of dwelling on it, Klaus smiled to himself,  clasped his hands behind his back and stepped forward, unconsciously circling her. "So I've been told." He waited for her to continue. Apparently she needed to be prompted, Klaus thought. "Well, go on then."

 

Hayley made no eye contact, instead feigning disinterest. She was smart enough to know he liked to play his games, his way. Squaring her chin, she ventured on. "Word on the street is that you've been trying to resurrect your brothers. And take down Marcel."

 

Pausing, Klaus took a second glance to size Hayley up once more. A few months ago she was nothing more than a lone wolf looking for her family. He had done more than enough for her, he wasn't quite sure why he was still here, listening to her. "That may be the case," Klaus replied dismissively. "What are you here for Hayley?"

 

"I know people who can help you." The words had barely finished escaping her lips before Klaus chuckled.

 

A baby wolf wanted to help him, a thousand year old vampire, through an undeclared war. A quick thought on how polished his silver was flashed through his mind before he spoke next. "And I suppose there's something you wanted in return for this information."

 

"Yes," she answered firmly. "When you take down Marcel, you leave the werewolves alone. We stick to the Bayou but we want to be allowed in the Quarter on our own free will without the risk of death." Before she finished Klaus was standing toe to toe with her, intimidating.

 

"You seem quite certain that I will in fact conquer my city," Klaus mused.

 

"If the disaster that was Mystic Falls taught me anything it's that you always get what you want, some way or another."

 

Klaus hummed in agreement, his lips turning upward once more. "Smart wolf. Now you have five seconds to convince me why such an audacious move on your behalf is warranted before I kill you with your own claws."

 

"The Travelers--" and Hayley was pressed up against the nearest alley wall before another sigh could escape her lips. Klaus' hand at her throat held her inches from the ground as his hybrid ears heard her skin tearing along the rough, exposed brick.

 

"What do you know about the Travelers." It was not a question and Hayley would have been a fool to assume so.

 

"Dark...witches," was all she could manage with her throat constricted and oxygen compromised. Sighing, Klaus loosened his grip to let her speak. "I hear there's a big group of them heading towards Atlanta," she gasped, hoping this would suffice enough that he'd let her go.

 

"And you are sharing this information because?"

 

"For peace you psycho hybrid! I just want peace." And just like that he dropped her. "Do we have a deal?" she coughed out, straightening herself out.

 

"I don't make deals sweetheart," Klaus smirked. "But I must say, thank you for this wonderful piece of information. What a pleasant turn of events."

 

"Pleasant?"

 

Klaus hummed in response. "Yes, now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to find myself witches that can actually understand my macabre sense of humor."

 

"You asshole!" Hayley screeched as he strolled away from her. Silly girl, she should know Klaus Mikaelson doesn't make deals or treaties. He breaks them.

 

 

~

 

**Four Months Later**

Downtown Atlanta was really, really different from Mystic Falls, Caroline noted. People were everywhere, headed in all different directions. They were busy, and in a rush, and all of them were strangers. Caroline couldn't help but feel like big cities were the actual definition of being alone in a crowd. Right beside her strolled Enzo, seemingly basking in the vibe of the city. Though his arm brushed hers more times than she liked, she still felt very alone on this mission.

 

After the hospital had been a bad lead, they headed to 6643 Peachtree Drive. They headed east, out of Downtown Atlanta and found themselves in a quaint little neighborhood after a few wrong Peachtree Drives proved useless. Their feet carried them along worn down sidewalks with grass peeking out between the cracks, occasionally stepping on fallen leaves. The crunch underfoot was white noise in the background that Caroline had forced herself to grow accustomed to. Instead, she zeroed in on the bungalows they were passing, how many heartbeats she could pick out, or any sort of irregularity that meant something was abnormally out of place.

 

"It's a normal neighborhood blondie," Enzo spoke, casually taking note of Caroline's tense shoulders. "We're not walking into battle."

 

"No," she stretched out in agreement, "but we are walking in pretty blind. I just want to make sure we're not walking into a trap or something. I don't really trust the Travelers."

 

Raising his eyebrows, he chose to ignore her while he spotted the blue bungalow, clearly marked as 6643. "There," he pointed, walking in that direction without waiting for her. "It's a miracle we found this place, every other street in this blasted city is Peachtree."

               

Approaching the home, Caroline couldn't hear a heartbeat, meaning the home was currently empty. That was good. Or bad. Very, very bad. Instead of sharing this with Enzo, because he should already know, she noted that the mail box was overflowing. "These look old," she commented, lifting them to see their postmark. "Like, four months old," she affirmed with a sigh.

 

Sharing a look, Enzo knocked in quick succession. With no response, he reached forward to wiggle the knob. "Seventy years in a cage, think I'd learned to pick a lock by now," he sighed, twisting the knob off the door handle. Slowly, the door swung open with a creak that resonated throughout the empty house.

 

As the stale air wafted out to them, the smell of death hit Caroline immediately. She turned to Enzo and they shared another knowing look. Squaring her shoulders, Caroline took a chance and attempted to step over the threshold. No surprise, there was no barrier. "All right," she assessed. "First red flag, the owner's dead and rotting somewhere in this house."

 

Enzo slipped past her, eager to see if he could find and dispose of that wretched smell. Caroline hung back, glancing through some photos near the front entrance and along the walls. "This is definitely Hazel's house," Caroline called out after seeing a pretty red head in various pictures. "Or, it was," she corrected with a cringe.

 

 "Well, it looks like someone wanted the doppleganger more than Hazel did," Enzo grimaced, his eyes trained to the living room floor. As Caroline rounded the corner she was met with the sight of what appeared to be Hazel, half decomposed and neck ripped out. That buzzing Caroline was trying so hard to ignore belonged to a myriad of flies floating over her corpse.

 

Gasping, Caroline could hardly believe that no one had found her yet. "Oh my God, she's been here, dead, for four months!"

 

"You would have thought the neighbors would have reported a foul odor at least," Enzo scowled, turning away from the decaying corpse. Caroline followed suit to search for any signs of Tom Avery before she called the police to clean up Hazel's body.

 

"So Hazel was killed by another vampire who wanted Tom," Caroline recounted, trying to get the image of the corpse right behind her out of her head. "And apparently she's a witch?" she questioned, stepping closer to the open grimoire laid out at an alter in the middle of the living room. It's a wonder either of them had initially missed it.

 

Reaching down slowly to touch the withered pages of the grimoire, Caroline's senses were hit with a scent so overpowering she could hardly keep her footing. Images of the Salvatore woods, the feel of bark scraping against her back, fluttering leaves, the smell of his skin, of his blood, the feel of his fingers ripping open her shirt, of his stubble under her fingers, against her lips, everything about him came rushing to the forefront of her brain and she shut her eyes in an attempt to find the ground again and focus.

 

"You all right there blondie?" Enzo asked in concern. "Can't have you passing out on me just yet."

 

It wouldn't go away. _He_ wouldn't get out of her head. "Klaus," she whispered, eyes flying everywhere as if she expected him to step out of the shadows. Why here? Why Tom? Why now? How could she identify his smell? Or more like why? It must have been months since he was last here and all she can do it smell him under all the death. Oh my God, Caroline thought, Klaus killed Hazel.

 

"Klaus?" Enzo asked, confusion ever present on his face. "The Original? What's he got to do with any of this?"

 

"He was here," Caroline said, now sure of it. "He was here and he took Tom and oh my God I have to call Stefan." Nothing was making sense, every single thought she had was racing through her mind as she tried to understand, or really fathom, what this all meant. Connecting the dots was never fun when she only had a fraction of the information. And she doubted Stefan would know anything about this but he'd know better what to do and maybe he'd affirm that tiny voice in Caroline's head that kept calling her crazy.

 

It was one of those moments where Caroline's fingers kept fumbling and the call wouldn't connect right away and Sloan wouldn't answer Stefan's damn phone fast enough. "Is he dead?" Sloan greeted indifferently.

 

"No, I've hit a road block," Caroline seethed, suddenly wanting to rip the brunette's head off. "Put Stefan on the phone."

 

There was rustling in the background before Stefan finally came to the phone. "Caroline?"

 

"Stefan! Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah, I'm fine. What's going on?"

 

"Klaus," Caroline deadpanned, hoping Stefan would connect the dots. Well, she didn't know why she assumed that because it took her a few seconds but it was easier than explaining everything that wasn't making sense in her head.

 

"What about him?" Stefan finally asked after a few moments of silence.

 

"He took Tom!"

 

"Oh-wha-Caroline, how do you know?" Stefan asked slowly, trying to find the right words and, sensibly, be the calm one in the situation.

 

"Because!" she exclaimed as if it were obvious before realizing, no, it was not obvious because Stefan has not slept with Klaus. Taking a deep breath, Caroline slowed herself down. "Because," she sighed, "I-I can smell him."

 

"Uhhh, okay, I'm not sure---"

 

"I slept with him Stefan! I know what he smells like! This is for real, Klaus took Tom."

 

"Yeah I know, but Caroline, if Klaus took him, he took him months ago. Scents don't linger that long."

 

"I'm on Stefan's side on this one," Enzo chimed in, in the background. "I'm can't say I'm in any mood to go hunting for an Original vampire either."

 

Turning around, Caroline shot Enzo a glare fiery enough to shut him up. "Stefan, you need to trust me. It's his blood, it's spilled somewhere here, I can smell it. And Hazel's dead. Those are serious signs of struggle if you ask me which is the definition of Klaus."

 

"Wait, Hazel, the red head? She's dead?"

 

"Throat ripped out and decomposing for months."

 

"Is that werewolf venom?" Enzo asked, more confused now than before, his nose upturned to sniff a few times more.

 

"Did Damon not fill you in?" Caroline cried. "He's a hybrid! See! Stefan, he was here, I know it."

 

"Okay, okay," Stefan sighed, "if he was, what does Klaus want with my doppleganger?"

 

There was a long pause on both ends of the phone before Caroline finally spoke. "You don't think..." she trailed off, unwilling to continue.

 

"No," Stefan said firmly. "I mean that's not possible, he needs blood from a human Petrova Doppleganger."

 

"Well, what if he doesn't?" Caroline inquired. "I mean seriously Stefan, we didn't even know you had a doppleganger until a few months ago when Silas showed his face. What if he just needs doppleganger blood?"

 

"Doppleganger blood is powerful," Sloan interjected. "It's possible Esther's spell had a loophole Klaus is trying to exploit to make hybrids."

 

Shaking his head on the other end of the phone, Stefan refused to venture into this illogical possibility Caroline accepted. "But that doesn't make sense, if he was making hybrids, wouldn't we know?"

 

"I hate to break it to you lot," Enzo interrupted, "but Mystic Falls is not the center of the universe. So no, you wouldn't necessarily know everything that was going on somewhere else in the world."

 

Grinding his teeth, Stefan refrained from saying anything to Enzo. "We can't know for sure if Klaus took him, either way."

 

"I know but Stefan, come on, this is our only lead."

 

Stefan sighed, a deep contemplative one that had Sloan glaring at his indecision. "Caroline, are you positive?" he finally asked.

 

She took one more deep breath and let her vampire senses seek their way through every scent in her immediate vicinity before it fell on the faint, but lingering, scent of the Original's blood. If she focused, her senses took her to a deep red rose image in the carpet. That's where it was, camouflaged. How convenient. And with its location came another onslaught of memories she quickly squashed. "I'm positive. One other thing's for sure though," she paused, "if Tom is alive, he's well protected." Caroline sighed at how complicated everything suddenly became.

 

"Which means Klaus must be working with witches," Sloan added. "That's why we can't find him."

 

"Which basically means we're rerouting our trip to New Orleans."

 

"Wait, no, Caroline," Stefan started. "What if Tom's just dead? Why go to New Orleans if that's the case."

 

"If Tom was dead we'd know," Sloan added. "Find me the doppleganger Caroline and kill him. You're running out of time."

 

Choosing to ignore Sloan, Caroline continued to talk to Stefan. "I'm a big girl Stefan, it'll be fine. We'll go to New Orleans and I'll fix this."


	2. Chapter 2

"So, how exactly do you plan on fixing this?"

 

That was the last thing Caroline wanted to hear. Enzo talking. Having sat in her tiny Ford Fiesta with him for nearly three hours now with nothing but bad radio stations and her thoughts, the presence of someone else was grating on her nerves. The highway was nearly empty so instead of channeling her energy on road rage all Caroline's thoughts wandered to was how _was_ she going to fix this? Or what about if Tom was really there, than what? How could she kill him? And the ever looming question she didn't want to consider. What if she was wrong? How could she explain herself to a Klaus so insistent on loving her? A Klaus so sure of his future involving her when Caroline didn't even know what she was going to do once they got to New Orleans?

 

When night had fallen, she'd settled on the fact that she did not know and didn't want to think about it anymore. And she wasn't going to tell Enzo, or anyone else for that matter. She wasn't a dumb blonde, she knew what occasions would implicate her as such and how to avoid them. This happened to be one of them.

 

"You haven't got a clue, have you?" Enzo mused, throwing his head back in delight.

 

"No! What?" Caroline exclaimed. "I have a plan," she grated out in affirmation. "One I'm going to tell you about when we get there."

 

"All right," Enzo settled, "what can you tell me now?" He was met with silence and Caroline tightening her hands on the wheel. "How about Klaus?" White knuckles. "How's that fellow become a hybrid?"

 

"You really except me to believe that you don't know?" she scoffed, her hands relaxing as she shot him a disbelieving look.

 

"Well I have been locked in a cage for 70 years," Enzo replied, "have I forgotten to mention that?"

 

"Okay, all right," Caroline sighed, there wasn't exactly a newsletter that went out to everyone when it happened. "He's actually the son of a werewolf. So when he was turned into a vampire his mom, the Original witch, made his wolf side dormant or something. He came to Mystic Falls a few years ago and broke the curse. Now he's a hybrid."

 

"And what exactly does the doppleganger have to do with all of this?"

 

"Doppelgangers," Caroline corrected. "Klaus can make Hybrids with the blood of the doppleganger. But we thought it was just Elena's blood he needed. When she was human."

 

"And now that Stefan has got another, missing, doppleganger and you have a penchant for identifying Klaus's blood we don't know for sure anymore, do we?"

 

She dismissed his mention of Klaus' blood and simply nodded. The less she baited him the smoother their trip would go. "When we get there and if there are hybrids, don't get bit. Their bites have werewolf venom."

 

"Deceiving creatures," Enzo nodded. "How fun." There was the briefest of pauses before Enzo attacked the elephant in the room. "Now, what's this about you sleeping with Klaus?"

 

If it weren't for her vampire abilities Caroline knew she would have definitely, accidentally, veered off the road in shock. "You can't just ask someone that!" she chided. "In case you don't remember, we're not exactly friends!" Yet deep down Caroline cursed herself for not seeing it coming. She'd gotten it from everyone else, why not Enzo too?

 

"Yes about that, you've already stated your disinterest. But why can't we be friends?"

 

"You're Damon's friend!" she cried. "A friend of Damon's is not a friend of mine."

 

"Isn't your best friend sleeping with Damon?"

 

Caroline was practically seething with annoyance. Who did he think he was? Just waltzing into Mystic Falls and assuming he could know anything about any of their lives? "For your information, Elena is having an ongoing issue with her poor lapse in judgment that I am praying to whatever Gods are out there will be reversed in due time."

 

"Yes, time," Enzo entertained. "Because time is such a finite thing to us vampires."

 

"Whatever," Caroline dismissed. "She'll come to her senses eventually."

 

"What have you got against Damon anyway?" Enzo asked, wondering what his friend had done to the blonde to not deserve her friendship.

 

"Damon is not one of the good guys. Elena deserves _so_ much better him, okay?"

 

"I don't think he's one of the bad guys," Enzo pondered for a moment. "Though he did leave me locked in a cage of a burning room, dooming me to be the Augustine vampire for another 50 years."

 

"See!" Caroline exclaimed. "Not a good guy."

 

"No," Enzo replied, his voice gentler. "He turned it off."

 

"That's not an excuse. It never is."

 

"You can't hold vampires accountable for what they do with their humanity off."

 

Caroline thought about that for a moment. In a way, yeah, Enzo was right. She never held Elena accountable for what she did while her flip was switched. She even stole her prom dress, but Caroline had forgiven that. And Stefan? He flipped his switch and left Mystic Falls for a joyride across country with Klaus and Caroline had forgiven that. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forgive, or ever forget, what Damon had done to her; how he's took all her control away, how he toyed with her, how he treated her life a pawn. The worst part is not knowing, to this day, if his switch was flipped or not.

 

"But enough about Damon," Enzo declared, deciding the conversation about his friend was over by the look on Caroline's face. "You still haven't answered my question. If you don't want to answer it," Enzo shrugged, "I can imagine a few scenarios. Compulsion?"

 

Though she was grateful Enzo forced her to drop her train of thought about Damon, she wasn't ready to pick up the one about Klaus just yet. Instead, she absorbed what he said and sent him a heated glare she hoped told him she had enough. But Enzo didn't stop talking. "No, no, of course not. How about a little blonde distraction gone too far? You seem like you could play the part well."

 

"All right enough!" Caroline snapped. There was no way in hell she was about to tell Enzo that Klaus was probably in love with her and she had no clue how she was supposed to deal with that knowledge when waltzing into the town he's probably made home by now. So she fibbed. What's the worst that could happen? Yeah, it could come back and bite her in the ass. But it only could, it was not a definite _would_.  "He had an infatuation with me. We got it out of our system. End of story."

 

"Infatuation?" Enzo asked, eyebrows raised. "Now I've never met the man but I can't imagine an Original having a simple infatuation with you. Actually, I can't imagine anyone having a simple infatuation with you."

 

"I may be younger than you, but I will still kill you." It was an empty threat of course, she just needed him to stop hinting at the fact that she might be the only reason he's still on this mission.

 

"Now, I don't think you have the heart to," Enzo explained.

 

Clearly offended, Caroline asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

 

"This mission, Caroline."

 

Caroline paused, not quite sure what he was implying anymore. She was here, wasn't she?  "You're gonna have to say more than two words. I mean what? You don't think I'm up for this?"

 

"'This' being the cold-blooded murder of an innocent man? You can hardly say the word. How do you expect to actually do it?"

 

And that incited a fire in her Caroline never let burn out. No one told her what she could and couldn't do. No one. "I'm sorry, is this all supposed to be easy?" she asked incredulously. "You barely know me, so let me reintroduce myself. Hi, my name is Caroline Forbes and I am a good vampire, and I don't just go around killing people!"

 

"You've got me all wrong," Enzo sighed, shaking his head the slightest bit. "I'm not judging you. I'm preparing you." Caroline scoffed at that but let Enzo continue. "I've seen soldiers, men trained to kill, look their enemy in the eye and freeze up on the battlefield – a hesitation that usually costs them their lives."

 

She hated the way he was looking at her, like he knew this was some sort of twisted lesson she needed to learn. Like he'd seen the whole world and she had yet to see it. It reminded her of how Klaus looked at her. Except the chills that went up her spine with Enzo were from disconcert  "Well, last time I checked, this isn't war and I'm not a soldier, but Stefan is one of the best people that I know and when it comes to saving his life, yes, I will do just about anything for him." She hoped she had said it in such affirmation that Enzo would back off. She'd been in such a confined space with him for long enough, and they were hardly done with their drive, that if he didn't stop talking soon she might even consider snapping his neck.

 

Somewhere along the way the conversation finally stopped and Caroline's gas light flashed on. They stopped off at a filling station where Enzo grabbed a quick snack from a compelled patron while Caroline waited patiently for the tank to fill. It was time for them to switch off drivers. Even though Caroline had no desire to let Enzo drive her car, or really put her safety in his hands and driving abilities (because really, he lived in confinement for 70 years, that's 70 years without driving practice), but Caroline was too tired and too hungry to get behind the wheel again. Her body would probably damage the car more than it would damage her in the case of an accident. She'd take her chances.

 

A blood bag later they were back on the highway. Enzo's driving abilities weren't as awful as Caroline had been expecting. Though the silence between them was occasionally stifling, she tried her best to nap over Enzo's humming 40's show tunes. "You're so old," she grumbled while readjusting her coat turned make shift pillow against the cool window.

 

"That's a compliment to us vampires you know," Enzo smiled, before continuing his humming and tapping his fingers against the wheel.  Though Caroline classified him under pain in the ass, and she would have preferred doing this trip alone, he didn't make an awful companion.

 

 

~

 

Klaus had a dungeon. Much to Elijah's chagrin. He preferred the term basement or even cellar but his brother couldn't help but smile and remind Elijah that every King needed a dungeon. When Klaus had finally weeded out Marcel's informant from his own group of nightwalkers, he knew it was time to put his dungeon to use.

 

It originally was a cellar, a large one at that. Klaus had fitted the stone walls with manacles for any number of its uses. Now, a very bloody, very battered, and very young vampire hung from them, arms high above his head. "It's a pity and a gift that vampires heal so quickly," Klaus thought aloud. "There are, of course, an endless number of ways to get information out of you but there are no real lasting effects," he sighed, running his finger over a blade covered in blood. The last of the vervain was nearly out of him, Klaus could tell by the way the skin on his finger only barely burned against the bloody blade.

 

Eyeing his handiwork, there were two stakes stabbed into his prisoner's upright forearms, Klaus sighed at the mess his blood was making. The cellar would no doubt have to be completely washed out. Bouncing quickly on the balls of his feet, he thought he may need a new pair of shoes now also. Torture was such tricky business.

 

"No matter, let's try again shall we?" Stepping forward with a smirk on his face, Klaus watched as the vampire, whose name he can't quite remember at the moment--Robbie? Richard? Rowland? Rowland--squirmed and pulled helplessly at his restraints. Futile task, Klaus noted, it only prolonged the pain from his stakes. "Rowland. Where's Marcel compound?"

 

"I told you," he gasped, "I don't know." Vampires don't become exhausted in the same way humans do, but regenerating took energy, energy derived from blood. And since most of Rowland's blood was on the floor, though his body hadn't quite desiccated, it was functioning much slower than usual. And while he didn't need to breathe, he needed to breathe to speak or Klaus would puncture his lungs, again.

 

A blade struck his abdomen once again, slicing right through his liver and trailing off as a flesh wound in one quick flick. "Now mate," Klaus sighed, stepping forward into his personal space. Blood and saliva covered Rowland's round, boyish face. No doubt he'd been turned fresh out of high school. His breath came out in wet pants as he avoided Klaus' deadly gaze. "You're making this all very difficult for yourself," he emphasized by sticking his blade into Rowland's chest, a mere centimeter from his heart.  "Just tell me before I'm forced to compel you and I might just let you live."

 

Rowland couldn't help but laugh at that before gasping in pain. The blade was so close.  He was young but he knew he was already dead, at Klaus' hands or Marcel's. "I told you, I don't know! He meets us in random places! It's never the same place twice."

 

"What is he planning?" Klaus demanded, twisting the blade ever closer to his heart. The answer to that question was the only one he cared for. He had an idea of where Marcel's compound was, the heart of his whole scheme, but it seemed foolish to have a prisoner and not take advantage of it.

 

Rowland cried out; spit flying from his mouth as he tried desperately to gasp for breath. "I don't know, I don't know; oh my God please don't kill me. I really don't know," he breathed out in quick succession. Klaus could smell the fear emanating off of his skin. It made him smile. Fear never ceased to thrill him. He's quite certain it never will.

 

Begging for his life, Klaus thought Rowland to be pathetic. Marcel never did choose his men wisely. And so Klaus compelled him, waiting to hear the truth. Alas, he received the same story. "He said he's not afraid of you. That he's not hiding. Just waiting for the right moment," Rowland relayed to him, monotone and blissfully unaware that he was mere centimeters away from death.

 

"Brother," came a cultured voice behind Klaus. It seemed nearly out of place what with the dungeon and Klaus covered in blood, none his own of course. "I think that's all our prisoner has to tell you."

 

"Elijah," Klaus sighed, pulling the blade from Rowland to wait for his torso to regenerate. "Must you always interrupt my fun?"

 

"Interrogating a spy is hardly fun."

 

"Well if it wasn't, I'd have let you do it brother," Klaus grinned, wiping down his blade one final time. At that very moment, Klaus was a sight to see. Blood was smeared across his face and dried into his beard. Splattered across his Henley, it looked like Klaus' torso had walked through a blood shower. His well tailored jeans too dark to show any telling signs of damage, but if Elijah knew anything about his brother, blood would be splattered across his jeans the way paint is on a painters. "Don't worry Elijah, I'm all done. Simply contemplating what to do with him now." Despite the grotesque scene playing out before him, Klaus was ever calm, not even a hint of crazy danced across his eyes.

 

"What is there to contemplate? We have no use for him, he clearly knows nothing. Kill him."

 

"And you always wonder why Rebekah and I call you the bore."

 

Elijah rolled his eyes at his brother. "Whatever tactic you'd like to employ this time, do it soon. We have more pressing matters to handle."

 

"Oh but brother," Klaus smiled, "he's only just begun to beg." Behind him Rowland sucked in a harsh breath, refraining from whimpering. But Klaus heard his heartbeat speed up and couldn't hide his smile.

 

"If this prisoner is a flea you are so inclined to scratch, do so and rid yourself of it," Elijah advised, hands stuffed into his perfectly tailored suit pants. Though the night was ending, not a hair on Elijah's head was out of place. Always the perfectly put together Original.

 

"All right, all right," Klaus conceded after having finally decided how to dispose of his captive. "Now, Rowland," Klaus began his compulsion. "Return to Marcel, tell him of our little chat just now. Remind him I take no prisoners nor offer pardons. And then rip your heart out right in front of him." As Rowland came back to himself, he was startled, terrified, that he had to kill himself. But he said nothing.

 

Klaus smiled at the fear on his face before turning back to a waiting Elijah. "I take it you can handle the clean up than?"

 

"Who else cleans up your messes?"

 

"Certainly not Rebekah," Klaus mused. "She can hardly clean up her own. Did you see the one she found today? He will surely be messy."

 

"I can hear you arseholes," Rebekah growled from stories above them. Elijah couldn't help but smile at the pleased expression Klaus wore.

 

~

 

Entering New Orleans, Caroline awoke with a start. It was late and nothing but darkness surrounded the road they were on. "Where are we?" she asked, her throat croaking in protest.

 

"Oh good, you're awake. I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to pick the dodgy motel to stay the night in myself."

 

"That's not an answer to my question," she groaned, stretching her stiff neck. "My God you can't see anything but the road."

 

"Interstate 10, we're driving over Lake Pontchartrain. You're bloody GPS keeps mumbling something about a bayou, won't shut up about it."

 

Leaning forward, Caroline glanced at the sat nav and confirmed that they were to drive through the bayou into the city. "It's just telling you what to expect next."

 

"Well tell it to stop," Enzo stated, clearly not well acclimated with the technology this century came with.

 

Sighing, Caroline leaned forward and pressed a few buttons on the dashboard to quit Enzo's whining. "Happy?"

 

"Very. Now where to stop?"

 

"I don't care, first motel you see. The blood bags need a fridge."

 

"As you wish," Enzo smiled to himself.

 

And they continued to drive, past the lake and into what Caroline know knew was the bayou. If she wasn't a creature of the night, the darkness that engulfed them the moment the lake ended and the bayou began would have given her some serious heebie jeebies. Looking out the window, Caroline couldn't help but feel disconcerted by the enveloping darkness contrasted starkly against the night sky.

 

Maybe she was just tired or the car was going too fast or anything really, but Caroline swore she saw something, or even someone, in the woods. Not wanting to alert Enzo because really, she just woke up, it could all just be in her head. Narrowing her ears outwards, she tried her hardest to hear anything in the woods, snapped twigs, feet, heavy breathing. Over the noise of her engine and the crinkle of rubber on tar, it was hard to make out much. But she didn't hear a human heart as far out as her hearing took her and she left it at that, simply noting the bayou was a place to stay out of by sheer instinct.

 

It felt like forever before street lights dotted the side of the roadway once again. Enzo took a few turns as if he knew these roads like the back of his hands. "Have you been here before?" Caroline asked, puzzled.

 

"Once or twice over the years," Enzo responded. "Enough to know the perfect bar for a night cap."

 

"Motel first, please," Caroline sighed, trying her best to ignore that knot she felt growing in her stomach. The deeper into the city they went, the tighter the knot pulled. "Why are we getting so close?" She was perfectly fine with, exactly she might have even preferred, to stay on the outskirts of town.

 

"Nightcap," Enzo answered, shooting her a short smile to which Caroline scoffed. "And strategy."

 

"There's strategy involved in waltzing into the city probably ruled by the Original family and demanding the doppleganger they may have taken. Who knew?"

 

"Now, now, hear me out," Enzo placated. "We can't be too far out. I'm sure you'd like that but we can't be seen directly in the middle of it all either."

 

"Let me guess, you know just the place."

 

"Of course," he replied, turning right and crossing a bridge. "We stay out of the quarter and get a feel for things."

 

"The quarter?"

 

"The French Quarter, it's the heart of New Orleans."

 

"Okay," Caroline said, digesting the information and filing it away. She thought vaguely that she should have a good look at a map of the city before they venture out tomorrow, commit it to memory. "That was always the plan, just, you know, further away," Caroline grumbled, pushing her own thoughts away and refusing to argue. It was hardly midnight, and though she knew she should go straight to the motel, shower, and rest up, Caroline felt like she desperately needed a drink. All this contemplation about the Klaus situation and having Enzo around needed to be soothed with some liquid therapy of the intoxicating variety. Plus, her limbs had been cramped in a car for way too long; walking to a bar would be the perfect opportunity to stretch. She repeated this logic to herself while checking into their motel and squashed that sliver of excitement that escaped the knot in her stomach. She was in New Orleans, Klaus' favorite city, and she was on a mission to save her friend. She had to keep reminding herself of that last bit.

 

"Shall we?" Leaning against her doorframe, Enzo waited patiently for Caroline to grab her phone. With a fleeting thought she reached into her duffle and pulled out two small vials of vervain she'd packed. Tossing one to Enzo, she gulped down the liquid, ignoring the burn, before passing him on her way out the door. "Always prepared."

 

"We still don't know what we're talking into. I'm not getting compelled. I just want a drink and a lay of the land. We can deal with the rest tomorrow." Caroline was determined. This mission was going to be as cut and dry as possible. She'd make sure of it. All she had to do was fish out if there were hybrids in the city, find Tom, get him out of there, and not get caught. Simple. Sighing internally, she also knew she was so screwed.

 

Pushing that all away for now, she focused on the road they were on now. This bar Enzo spoke so highly of wasn't far. They had forgone the car and walked. Though neither of them said a word, Caroline's mind kept wandering back to Enzo and his presence. Eventually she couldn't even enjoy the architecture that surrounded her. She had to ask. "Why are you still here?" He seemed taken aback, as if this had been established already.

 

And he took the humorous route while answering, Caroline could tell. "I couldn't let you walk into the lion's den by yourself."

 

She tried so hard not to scoff. "This isn't about me," she said, her voice deflated. "Why are you still here Enzo?"

 

"Look," he started, standing up a little taller. "The Travelers saved my life, let me just finish this up here so I'm no longer indebted to them."

 

Caroline wanted to say something more but they had arrived. Pausing before the entrance to the bar, Enzo held the door open for her and Caroline realized there were things about Enzo she'd never understand. And while he was her companion on this mission, he wasn't exactly on her side. Stefan had said Tom was good, requested she not kill him. She'd let Enzo think what he wants but she knew she wasn't in New Orleans to take Tom's life. For some reason, she was beginning to see that's all Enzo wanted. So yes, he was her companion for the moment. But no, she didn't want to know anything about him, especially his reason for being so willing to take Tom's life.

 

The bar they walked into was raucous, gritty, and teeming with life. She felt entirely out of place until she heard the irregular heartbeats surrounding her. Few in the room were human. The ones that were seemed blissfully unaware of the supernatural creatures amongst them. Enzo headed straight for the bar and ordered Bourbon. It wasn't Caroline's poison of choice but with the day she'd had, she'd take it.

 

"What are you going to do when you see him?" Enzo inquired over his glass of whiskey before taking a generous gulp and dropping it back down on the sticky bar. He signaled for more before turning his full attention back to Caroline.

 

"I'll figure it out when it happens," she sighed before taking a gulp. It should have troubled her that she understood who he meant immediately. But it didn't. Who else would she be dreading to see? "If it happens," she decided to amend.

 

"Come on now, you really think you could avoid him?"

 

"I could try," she replied before throwing back the rest of her drink.

 

Their conversation ended abruptly when the bar door was thrown open and in rushed another group of vampires. To the humans, they looked like a group of rowdy boys looking for a good time. But Caroline saw the way their eyes narrowed, the way their shoulders straightened. They walked like they owned the place, or least the head of their group did. He had those broad football shoulders Caroline remembered so well from her cheerleading days, how she used to find that attractive.

 

Before she could zero in on any of their heartbeats, she and Enzo were confronted with a man with the whitest teeth and biggest smile Caroline had ever seen. And the most charismatic. And that already spelled trouble. "You guys must be new in town," he greeted. Leaning forward the slightest bit, he dropped his voice an octave. "I'm Marcel, I know all the vampires around here."

 

Caroline could see Enzo give Marcel the same once over she did. It was impossible to see vampire years but from the drawl in his voice, Caroline would guess he wasn't from this century. "Enzo," he stuck his hand out, figuring Marcel harmless enough.

 

Following suit, Caroline stuck her hand out, palm down, and flashed Marcel the smile she'd perfected from cheerleading and Miss Mystic Falls. "I'm Caroline, nice to meet you."

 

"Well Caroline," he smiled, grabbing hold of her hand and bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss. "Welcome to New Orleans."

 

She feigned a blush and flirty smile when really all she wanted to do was rip her hand away and sanitize it ten ways to Sunday. But Caroline was a planner and right now she hadn't expected running into locals. On the fly she decided she should appear as harmless as possible. The less everyone knew about their mission the better and smoother it would run.

 

Before anyone could say anything else, the leader of the pack of vampires that had just walked in came up next to Marcel and clapped him on his back. "Well, well, Marcel," he sang. "Klaus seems to think you're hiding. I'll be sure to let him know you're not as much of a coward as we thought you were."

 

Caroline had to visibly pause in order to not react at his name. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline could see Enzo had noticed and hoped this new arrival to the conversation hadn't noticed and distracted Marcel enough.

 

"Hello Elliot," Marcel sighed in greeting. Caroline was acutely aware of their body language now, attempting to assess friend or foe. So far she was at foe. Very much foes. "Doing Klaus' bidding I assume."

 

"Not really, just enjoying a drink," Elliot shrugged. At that moment the bartender decided to hand him his beer. Caroline couldn't help but notice his carefree confidence rolling off his shoulders. It bordered so close to arrogance she wasn't even sure if the line was there anymore. "And you know, just making sure there aren't any signs of mutiny in any corner of his kingdom."

 

Unable to help it, Caroline's eyebrows shot up to her forehead. Of course he'd call it his Kingdom, she thought. "I wouldn't be so quick to call it his kingdom, Elliot," Marcel stated, cutting off Caroline's train of thought and starting a new one. "We're at a bit of a stalemate."

 

"All right mate," Elliot chuckled, clearly mocking him. "Call it what you want."

 

"But never mind all that, I'm sure you guys don't want to hear about the issues us locals have," Marcel chuckled, brushing it all off and redirecting the conversation back to Caroline and Enzo. But it was too late; Enzo and Caroline were on high alert and made a great effort to hide it.

 

"Where are my manners? I'm Elliot," he finally greeted, his hand outstretched. "Welcome to New Orleans."

 

Being closest, Caroline took his hand first, flashing him yet another one of her smiles. "Caroline," she said, her smile faltering the slightest when she felt the warmth of his skin. A split second later she'd zeroed in on his heartbeat. It was steady but thrummed with a sense of life hers never could all the while beating exactly as her own undead heart did. Hybrid. She didn't know why she didn't notice it before. The blood drained from her face but she kept her composure nonetheless. Elliot was a wildcard, Marcel was Klaus' enemy, Enzo's intentions did not match her own, and now was not the time to forget that she was a drama major.

 

"So what brings you guys to town?" Marcel inquired, probably trying to assess friend or foe as Caroline had done between him and Elliot earlier.

 

Caroline was in no mood for conversation at that point. She needed to be alone so she could plan, with color coordinated note cards and a big chart, maybe even a pro/con list so she could decide what the hell it was she was supposed to do here. So much new information hit her in the past minute alone; she didn't know how she was supposed to carry this charade any longer.

 

"Just passing through," Enzo replied, inconspicuously eyeing Caroline carefully.

 

"Well I gotta let you guys know," Elliot said, "before you guys hit the hay wherever you're staying, the big guy, Klaus, he's gotta meet you."

 

"They look like they just rolled into town, let them rest up first," Marcel interjected. Under his concern Caroline could see a smugness in his eyes, like he wanted to defy Elliot or keep them away from Klaus. Or maybe he wanted to appear compassionate. Whatever the reason, Caroline was not buying it.  

 

While Caroline-on-a-mission wanted to agree because she needed to gather her thoughts and figure out what the hell she'd even say to the hybrid first, she knew Caroline-who-could-flirt-her-way-in-and-out-of-anything needed to seem like she didn't mind, completely indifferent to whoever this Klaus guy was.

 

"Well I'm done here. Caroline?" Enzo asked, dropping his empty glass on the counter with a few stray bills, implying he didn't mind meeting Klaus now.

 

There was only a moment's hesitation before Caroline smiled and agreed. "Just let me go freshen up really quick." Slipping away, Caroline found herself in a dirty bathroom that smelled so awful she had to hold her breath, not that that did any harm to her. It did however help her slow down her heart rate because the moment she walked away from the group she couldn't believe the mess she'd gotten herself into. And she's been in the city barely an hour. This already seems like an awful idea, Caroline thought to herself while side stepping toilet paper on the ground.

 

Pulling out her phone, she did the only thing she could think of. She texted Enzo.

**C:** **What are you thinking????? He's a hybrid!!!!!**

 

It took hardly a second before she got her reply.

 

**E: I've gathered**

**E: Time to put your wits to use blondie**

Blowing out a breath of air, Caroline could not believe her luck today. Stepping in front of the grimy mirror, she did actually freshen up because no one likes a gross vampire. Her hair was frizzy, and while her makeup was always intact now (hello vampirism), she really wish she could have redone it, and she smelled like her car. If she was going to waltz into Klaus's "kingdom" she was going to have to look pretty damn cute to get what she wanted. But none of these things could be helped now.

 

Taking one last deep breath, Caroline steeled herself for what was to come next before exiting the bathroom. Stepping back through the bar, she found Marcel was missing and she was sure it had to do with meeting Klaus. "Ready?" Elliot had asked, dropping a bill on the counter for his beer.

 

No, not at all, Caroline thought, but instead smiled and said, "Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I do post this on FF.net now under alovelydisaster if anyone prefers that site or anything. I know this chapter is a monster! I'm not such a huge fan of the ending bar scene but idk how to make it better so I may go back and make changes if inspiration strikes and I will let you guys know. I do apologize for any small errors, I'm human and there's only so many things I can fix between me and spell check. Otherwise, enjoy! And let me know what you think!
> 
> Disclaimer, there's a part in here that belongs entirely to the CW. I really liked the scene between them so I decided to keep it. Also, if Enzo doesn't sound as eloquent as usual, I apologize, I'm still getting used to his character and developing him for my plotline also.


	3. Chapter 3

"Nik!" Rebekah called out, her voice echoing throughout the courtyard, bouncing off the stone pillars of the interior gallery. The nightwalkers, who were scattered about the courtyard playing cards or drinking for the hell of it, did not dare even dare look at the Original blonde. They knew better than to approach her when she was having a fit about Klaus. So they watched her stomp through the open area out of the sides of their eyes in an effort to find Klaus. In his study, Klaus internally flinched every time her stilettos nearly speared the marble floors. "Nik!" she belted, her voice reaching a pitch of annoyance Klaus knew she reserved for him and him only. 

She found him nursing scotch laced with blood, no doubt scheming. "If I find another one of your imbecilic hybrids following me again under your orders, I swear Nik I will rip out their hearts and rejoice."

Rolling his eyes, Klaus turned to face his clearly irritated sister. When he met her steely gaze, he smiled. Nothing bothered Rebekah more than not acknowledging, or simply writing off, her annoyance. "You will do no such thing, little sister," he replied, slowly stepping closer to her and watching as she stood up straighter. Little Rebekah, Klaus mused, never going down without a fight. "I'm not quite sure if you remember why you are here, but let me remind you. We are taking back our home. And as Elijah likes to put it, we are attempting to be a family again by resurrecting Kol. If you wish to see the outcome of our plans in person I suggest you never lay so much as a finger on my hybrids." 

"I will not be spied on Nik!" Rebekah screech. "I am here because Elijah insisted, not for some silly war!"

"It is not a war. I've already won," Klaus smirked, raising his glass of scotch as if to drink to it. "I have the witches' allegiance, the pesky wolves are out of sight, my hybrids stand by me, and New Orleans can be restored to its former glory. Only Marcel needs to be dealt with."

"Marcel is gone now; you can stop your scheming and focus on bringing Kol back!" Rebekah snapped, not wanting to hear another word of her brother's victory. 

A flip switched in Klaus, the one that wanted blood. Leaning forward, Klaus growled. "This is the man who single handedly took everything that we built right from under our noses. The man who let us continue our lives believing him to be dead while we ran from Mikael in our misery." As he finished his face turned upwards in curiosity. "He used you Bekah; to get to me. You loved him and he used you. You should want this revenge. I dare say more so than I."

Indignantly, Rebekah crossed her arms and cocked her hip. "I want his head on a stick for breaking my heart Nik. And I want our home back. But I will not be followed or spied on." Because honestly, Rebekah didn't know if this was Klaus being overprotective or his way of saying he didn't trust her.

The glare that fell on her was not deadly but firm. "They are not spying, merely protecting," Klaus amended. "It is not unreasonable, nor unpredictable, than our family should be highly protected in these times. Marcel is still out there. We don't know who we can trust outside of ourselves."

"And why doesn't Elijah have one?"

"Because I don't need to worry about Elijah getting hurt or being a target."

"I can take care of myself Nik!" she glowered at her big brother. 

"I have no doubt of that Rebekah but--" Klaus cut himself off from mentioning Rebekah's weak heart and instead shifting his attention to his hypersensitive hearing. People were approaching the house. One of his hybrids. A stranger with the tell tale heartbeat of a vampire. And a third, whose blood assaulted his nostrils so strongly the glass he was holding cracked. Her blood smelled absolutely divine but it was laced with anxiety. No one else would pick up on it but him, having been well acquainted with her scent and her blood. There was a sliver of pride in him that she had mastered hiding her emotions from others so well.

The stranger on the other hand was aloof. Caroline could not be here by choice, he decided. Not now. He knew she'd come, but not this soon. Not with a strange, male, vampire. And not while he was in the middle of finally making this town his home. Trouble always arose when the Originals settled anywhere, it never went smoothly. Caroline was supposed to come when Marcel was dead and New Orleans teeming with that life, culture, music, and art he promised, not when charred bodies kept popping up everywhere and the local government were delusional in their conviction they had a crime problem.

Klaus couldn't put a finger on this stranger she was with. It was a man. That he could easily identify. He was old. Old enough to train himself to keep calm and keep the element of surprise, but not old enough to entail much a threat to himself or his siblings. To Caroline, on the other hand, was another story. She must be danger. That's the only answer the question of this stranger held. The hairs on the back of Klaus' neck stood at the mere thought of Caroline being in danger. The possibility of it occurring now had his blood boiling. He found solace in knowing she was accompanied by one of his hybrids. Elliot. He was not an idiot, a wonderful leader actually. She was safe. Temporarily. 

"What is it Nik?" Rebekah asked, bewildered at the cracked glass he held. She'd remember to berate him later for destroying yet another glass from their good crystal set, but right now his shoulders were tense and his ears were clearly elsewhere. Rebekah vaguely registered people approaching the house but thought nothing of it. Their home was the center of Klaus' "regime," as he liked to call it; people were always walking in and out of it; mostly from his inner circle, vampires and hybrids that he trusted. And suddenly she realized two of the people approaching were strangers. 

"She shouldn't be here," Klaus growled, discarding the broken glass on his desk to be dealt with later. His palm had already healed; the blood was not an issue of import.

This "she" threw Rebekah for a loop. Who could Klaus possibly be talking about? "Well I didn't know we were expecting company," she snapped, not liking how little he shared with her. 

Klaus simply brushed past her. Of course she didn't understand. She wouldn't recognize Caroline. Rebekah hadn't quite cared for the blonde in question. Making his way towards the courtyard, he murmured darkly, "Caroline is here."

"The cheerleader?" Rebekah asked incredulously, following her brother. "From Mystic Falls? What in the bloody hell would she be doing here Nik?"

"I don't know dear Bekah and that is exactly what I intend to find out," he replied, his voice curt and uncaring. Rebekah saw his battle armor slip on and wondered how a cheerleader could work her brother up so much. It was near pathetic, but she knew better than to say anything.

Upon entering the courtyard, everyone stood. Klaus held back his smile at such respect, there were more important things to worry about than bask in his new found loyalty. "Apparently we are expecting visitors," Klaus greeted, a devious smile on his face, but it fell the moment his next words passed his lips. Clasping his hands together, he attempted to appear as calm as possible. "No one is to touch even a hair on the girls head. Surround the other one." No one asked questions, simply obeyed. Oh what'd he had been missing in Mystic Falls.

Elijah, who'd been strolling the upper gallery, looked down at all the nightwalkers, shoulders tense and intent on carrying out Klaus' orders. "Are we under attack?" Elijah asked, setting down his book before flashing down the stairs. "Again," he added in a bored tone while adjusting the cuffs of his suit.

"Hardly," Klaus replied, smirking as he focused on Caroline's steady heartbeat. "This should be easy. Don't work yourself up brother." The stranger she was with may have at most a hundred years on her, but he wasn't a match for any of the Originals or Klaus' hybrids.

And suddenly the gates opened, revealing Elliot leading a wary Caroline and an entirely too curious stranger. "Caroline," Klaus greeted, meeting her gaze and watching in delight at the way her blue eyes widened. 

He didn't know what to call the feeling that had rushed through him at knowing she was alive, uninjured, and well, aside from looking like she needed blood and sleep. Despite all of that, she still looked so full of light. When she noticed the number of people standing at attention in the courtyard, the Originals standing together as if waiting for battle, he watched her stand a little taller and listened to her heart beat increase for a second before slowing, hardly noticeable to anyone else. There was a calculated look in her eyes as she surveyed the situation and Klaus smiled. She was so much like himself, she just needed to realize it.

"Wait, you know Klaus?" Elliot asked Caroline, breaking Klaus of his reverie as the gates shut behind them. "You didn't say anything." And before either she or Klaus could get a word in, Elliot had Caroline by the neck, pressed against the once open gates. "What are you planning? Are you working for Marcel?" he asked firmly, loosening his grip on her neck only enough for her to gasp for air.

"I--" she choked before Klaus finally sprung into action. Caroline did not need the oxygen, but he will not have her hurt. One of the benefits of hybrids is that they still had a pack mentality. Klaus was their alpha. And Elliot was not doing as Klaus wanted. 

"ELLIOT!" he roared, golden eyes and fangs emerging. Elliot stopped immediately, dropping Caroline and stepping back like an admonished pup. Caroline could breathe again; Klaus could hear the harsh breaths pushing through her lungs

"He is your concern, not her," Klaus amended, his voice a low growl as his gaze flicked to the brunette vampire that accompanied Caroline. 

"He happens to be Enzo," he clarified, calling attention to himself while eyeing the hybrids that had practically surrounded him. "These are the hybrids you were speaking of?" he asked Caroline, not chancing a glance back at her, afraid one of them might snap his neck. Pathetic, Klaus thought to himself. If he was her lover he'd have difficulty refraining from remarking on her poor choice in men. He didn't dwell on the implication he himself had in that statement because he should have been her only choice.

"Yes," Caroline grumbled, rubbing her neck as it apparently healed. "Enzo's not a threat," she finally called once she realized Klaus' hybrids really were surrounding Enzo, ready to attack. "He's," Caroline paused, searching for the right word. Klaus unconsciously held his breath. "An acquaintance."

"Well love, here I was thinking we were actually becoming friends," Enzo smirked. 

While he was pleased to know they were hardly friends, Klaus' blood boiled at that term. He didn't like anyone else calling her 'love', especially not this brunette with a shared accent. Jaw grounding together, Klaus said nothing of it. Finding out why Caroline was here and who this Enzo character was, was his top priority. Especially now that it has been revealed they are not friends and by Caroline's tone of voice, hardly acquaintances. She must know that all she had to do was say the word and Enzo would be dead before he could pronounce his short, silly name.

"Just stop talking Enzo and let me handle this," she ground out, clearly frustrated. 

"And you've determined this yourself? About Enzo, that is?" Klaus asked skeptically, honing in on her erratic heartbeat and Enzo's entire lack of fear. It was beginning to frustrate the Original how little this stranger was affected by the gravity of the situation he'd found himself in. He was surrounded by Hybrids whose singular bite would send him into hallucinations so vivid he wouldn't know when he'd died.

"Yes, I have," Caroline answered defiantly, clearly not liking the implication. And that defiance sent Klaus into a whirlwind of questions, wondering if Caroline's anxiety actually had nothing to do with Enzo, but everything to do with seeing him again? He didn't know how to feel about that. That emotional indecision frustrated him. A glare set into his eyes, not directed at anyone in particular.

"Then pray tell Miss Forbes," Elijah finally interjected, "what brings you to New Orleans?"

Hesitation. That is what they were met with. If Klaus knew anything, he knew Caroline planned. She liked her plans and had backup plans for her backup plans. This led Klaus to believe she hadn't been expecting this at all. Had she assumed she'd stroll through New Orleans, completely avoiding him? Had she planned on avoiding him? He watched her eyes roam quickly, assessing the gaze of his siblings as they all fell on her, expectantly.

"I uh--well we need your help," she finally mustered up. 'We' struck a chord. Whoever Enzo was, Klaus wasn't finding him necessary. 

"What, is Elena's life hanging in the balance again?" Rebekah asked, suddenly sounding very bored. "Cause if that's the case, need I remind you lot we left Mystic Falls to get away from your silly doppelganger drama." 

And while Klaus would help Caroline, he couldn't help but agree with his sister's sentiment. Mystic Falls seemed to revolve around that silly girl. "In a rare instance," Klaus sighed, "my sister is right." Rebekah snarled at him at that while Klaus felt Elijah rolling his eyes. 

"Our apologies, but we can't help you. Our hands are currently tied," Elijah finally stated in finality.

That's not true, Klaus nearly shot out. How dare Elijah makes decisions about Caroline without consulting him? Before he could say anything on the matter, Caroline herself was already speaking. "It's Stefan."

That was definitely not Elena drama. 

"Stefan?" Rebekah asked, her interested finally piqued. "What's wrong?"

"The Travelers, they have him. They'll kill him unless we give them his doppelganger, Tom."

Klaus's fingers clenched at his sides. She knew. Of course she did. How silly of him to think the tables were turning in his favor. If there was anything Caroline held in disdain more than Klaus himself, it was his hybrids. And Stefan, dear old Stefan. He liked him, held him in esteem like a brother at one point. Maybe this could still work out in his favor. He dearly hoped so.

Elijah sighed, taking the lead once again. "I see this conversation should be held in a bit more privacy. Please, join us for a drink and tell us everything you know."

Before following his brother, Klaus needed to deal with his hybrids first and their behavior to Caroline. "Yes, but Elliot," Klaus called, flashing in front of the hybrid. Reaching forward, he stuck his hand into Elliot's chest and gripped his heart. "Touch so much as a strand of hair on her head again and I'll have your heart for dinner." With that said, he released the grip he had on Elliot's still beating heart and pushed him away. He smiled at Caroline despite her very vocal protests. "That goes for all of you," Klaus reiterated before making to leave the courtyard, followed by a surprised Elijah who had remained to watch the show and an annoyed Rebekah.

"I saw Marcel!" Elliot called after them, halting Klaus in his steps. Turning slowly, Klaus' gaze fell on Elliot, demanding he explain. "He was talking to these two at the bar I found them at," he added, pointing his thumb at Caroline and Enzo. And that must be why Elliot attacked, Klaus deduced. While his intentions were good, Klaus would still make do on his promise to have his heart on a plate if he ever hurt Caroline again.

"Charming fellow, that Marcel was," Enzo piped up. 

"He was trying to welcome us when Elliot approached us," Caroline stated.

Klaus drew a deep breath. No doubt he would have preferred to keep Caroline far under the radar and away from Marcel, but she didn't exactly tell him she was heading into town for him to take any precautions. "We'll talk more on the matter later," he finally said, turning around and heading back inside.

Enzo, from behind him, spoke to Caroline as they followed. "You may have wanted to mention he's in love with you." He heard Caroline scoff and quicken her pace. Though he still wanted to rip Enzo's throat out, he couldn't help but smile. Caroline was in New Orleans. Of course, under all the wrong circumstances, but she was here. And if he couldn't get her to stay, he'd give her reason to return one day.

 

~

 

Any and all of Caroline's plans had gone up in flames the moment she saw Klaus. And it mostly had to do with the way Klaus was staring at her now in his study as Caroline explained everything she knew and fibbed about the doppelganger all over the place. He hadn't changed, not that vampires really do change. There was still that air of danger that surrounded him, that confidence that seemed to be a permanent resident in his blood, but she still saw the good in him. Tyler had once implied that seeing the good in everyone was a flaw, but she'd be damned if anyone let her think that again. There was good in Klaus, she just didn't think he saw it, but it was there. Some days she wondered if he could show it to everyone, not just her, if it would change anything.

While answering their questions, she decided Klaus didn't need to know the Travelers wanted Tom dead, and Enzo knew better than to mention anything, sensing Caroline had some inkling of plan formulating. The one sure fire way to not get Klaus' help was to outright say their intentions were to kill his incubator for more hybrids. Enzo had picked up on that much.

She needed Klaus and the rest of the Originals to trust her. And she prayed Enzo would play along. As long as they thought she wanted to do a simple exchange however they wanted to go about it, she couldn't see anything going horribly wrong. Just let them think they have control. By the smirk on Enzo's face, he was probably thinking the same thing.

"How did the Travelers even end up in Mystic Falls?" Rebekah asked, her eyes trained on Caroline. She didn't quite like the blonde, and would never understand Nik's fascination with her, but if Stefan's life was at stake, she'd help her. In any way that she could without ending up in a box.

"I do believe the name Travelers is quite fitting, love," Enzo quipped, raising his eye brows at her. "They travel."

"Nik why is he even here?" Rebekah growled. 

"I was just about to ask that myself," Klaus replied. "Care to explain Enzo."

"I owe the Travelers a favor. This is me fulfilling it."

"This whole situation brings up the question, how did Stefan manage to get himself captured by the Travelers?" Elijah asked, swirling scotch around in his glass. 

"Caroline," Enzo said, turning the room's attention to her and prompting her to explain what mess her friends had ended up in.

Huffing out a breath of air, Caroline knew this was going to sound ridiculous. "There was some psycho scientist trying to get vampires to crave vampire blood so we can kill ourselves and he succeeded with Damon and Elena and the Travelers had the cure. So Stefan, being the great guy that he is, turned himself over to help the Travelers in exchange for the cure."

"And you know Tom to be here because?" Klaus finally asked. And Caroline saw the way his lips upturned and would not give him any satisfaction of thinking she was here for him. She was here for Stefan and that's it. 

"The Travelers were doing this mind meld thing to Stefan's brain, which essentially fried it, and we went to Atlanta looking for him and found ourselves here," she answered, skirting over the process of realizing they needed to get to New Orleans.

"Yes, but how did you come to find that Tom was here, in New Orleans?" Elijah inquired, his eyes narrowing. "We have witches casting every protection and anti-location spell ever known to keep him hidden."

Enzo shot Caroline another look with a smirk. He'd come to find out Klaus was in love with Caroline and she apparently didn't reciprocate the feelings. How uncomfortable that must be. This is why he answered for her when it seemed she wasn't going to speak for herself. "Apparently Caroline has an affinity for identifying Klaus's stale, four month old blood."

At that, Klaus couldn't help but smile. It was not his genuine smile, no, it was his smug, 'let's celebrate the little victories', smile that had Caroline's blood boiling, at Klaus for being Klaus and at Enzo for being the most annoying person she'd probably ever come across.

"Oh this is pathetic, can we move on please?" Rebekah interrupted, not wanting nor caring to know what had her brother so giddy. "The Travelers will let Stefan go if we give them Tom?"

"Not so quick, sister," Klaus insisted. "Lucky for you lot, I have use for the Travelers."

"Niklaus, the witches are already--" Elijah spoke up but was interrupted.

"The witches are taking too long. The Travelers use magic than can be far more powerful. If anyone can do what we want, it's them."

Caroline watched the exchange in curiosity. They were planning something, apparently something big to warrant the need of the Travelers magic. "And what you want is?" Caroline asked, trailing off at the end of her question. He's already taken over New Orleans, what else does he want? All of Louisiana?

"To bring Kol back," Rebekah replied with a smile, obviously excited at the notion.

"So what? You're going to negotiate Stefan's life?" Caroline asked incredulously. She wanted to ask if that was possible, bringing back someone from the dead, but she knew from firsthand experience it was possible. But it came with a cost. Nature needed a balance. And she wondered briefly if they knew that, or if that was information the witches had withheld. It wouldn't be the first time witches tried to sabotage any vampire's plans.

"I'm going to get what I want and give you lot Stefan back. Let me speak to their leader. I'll have it sorted."

Caroline scoffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Why do I get the feeling you have no intention of giving up Tom?"

"Now why would I compromise my army of hybrids because a deranged group of witches want him for whatever purposes they deem necessary?"

"He's still a person Klaus!" Caroline exclaimed. This is exactly how she expected him to behave. She didn't know why she even bothered. But she still did. "You know, a human who had a life!"

"Caroline," Klaus growled lowly. "Now is not the time to--"

"Yes, Niklaus is right, now is not the right time," Elijah interrupted, his tone firm and controlled. "Our guests look rather travel weary. Shall I have rooms drawn for?" 

"We have a motel," Caroline answered curtly. "But thanks." Klaus' eyes narrowed and darkened at that, clearly not liking the idea of Caroline sleeping anywhere near the stranger he'd been glaring at all this time. And that was all the more reason for her to head straight back to that motel with Enzo.

"Nonsense," Enzo replied. "We'd love to stay. She's not exactly the best company."

"Well good, I've already sent out a nightwalker to discover where you're staying and retrieve your bags," Klaus affirmed, throwing back the rest of his scotch before pouring himself more. 

"Wonderful, someone will show you to your rooms and we can discuss our course of action tomorrow," Elijah said with finality. 

Caroline wanted to protest, to tell Klaus he couldn't just send out one of his servants to retrieve her bags and keep her here. But she had a plan forming. Staying close and finding out what Klaus had done to Tom, where he was, was better than observing from far away. Enzo's initial response at staying was correct. Better to stay close to everything now that they'd been invited. It was easier, even if she didn't want to stay under the same roof as the Originals.

So they all went their separate ways in hopes of better discussing everything tomorrow. Someone came to show Caroline and Enzo their rooms. Before settling in, or even glancing around the guest room, Caroline pulled her phone out once the door shut and she had an inkling of privacy. She shot a quick text to the last person on earth she thought she'd ever be texting. Because if she did have a plan, she needed to set it into action now.

**To Klaus: We need to talk. Without ears, especially not Enzo's.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this initial meeting lived up to your expectations? If not, feel free to yell at me. And please do tell me if there's anything you want to see happen, I'm always open to ideas. That been said, I'm so super excited for what I have planned so far.
> 
> Please hit me up with some comments! I love hearing what you guys think! I should be doing my midterm research paper but instead I'm posting this so please, comment! Otherwise, enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate this chapter. It wouldn't write the way I wanted, it wouldn't flow the way I wanted and Klaus feels OOC. This is also the second draft. The first draft was an entirely different scenario that I was 3500 words into before deciding that wasn't working and I tried to make this work. So instead of putting it off any longer I'm just gonna leave this here for all of you to tear apart and tell me how awful it is. 
> 
> Moving on, thank you all so much for leaving me comments and kudos!
> 
> Also, I'm really sorry it took so long to update. TBH I update my FF.net account sooner than this for some reason so if you have an account there feel free to look it up, my username is: alovelydisaster. Aside from that, school really hit me. I have finals next week so I'm hoping to get something out the week after that. Fingers crossed. I do want to finish TVD before I post anything else because I want to know what canon did with the Travelers and the Other Side situation. We'll see. If you think it's been too long since the last update, message me, I'll tell you what's stopping me. Now, on to the actual story!

She had promised to meet him on the outskirts of town, just outside the Bayou. After the witches had turned on him, their alliance, however unwilling, became necessary. It was Marcel who rebuilt New Orleans as the supernatural hub of the U.S after the Originals left, he wasn't about to lose it once Klaus decided Marcel was playing with a toy he wanted. 

So he made sure there was no one around except the few who remained loyal to him after Klaus dismantled his Kingdom and the wolves she brought along. For a wolf, she wasn't stupid. Despite being sworn enemies Marcel could admire intelligence in anyone. 

Hayley approached as Marcel slid his diplomatic guise on and took his cue. "You're sure this is going to work?" he asked in lieu of a greeting.

He watched as she rolled her eyes and pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "If you're gonna doubt me the whole time then, no, it won't work."

"All right, all right," Marcel mocked surrender, all smiles and charm. "I just need to know how exactly this works, and if it will, before I snatch up one of Klaus' hybrids for a plan you put all your faith in."

Hayley stared at him. For all intents and purposes he was her last hope of making New Orleans a home for her family, her wolf pack. They would not live under persecution by any vampire any longer. "They have to change into a wolf. Repeatedly," she stated, hoping that was sufficient enough. 

"How do we get them to do that willingly?" Marcel asked. He didn't care much for werewolves but he knew enough to know that changing meant breaking every bone in their body. It sounded excruciating.

"You said you were planting doubt," Hayley replied. "You just need one of them to realize they're not free and that we can give them freedom."

Marcel nodded, appraising Hayley. She appeared strong–determined–like this was her last chance. "You never answered my first question. How do I know this works?"

"I've done it before."

"Really?" Marcel chuckled disbelievingly. "You? You've unsired one of Klaus' hybrids before this unfortunate turn of events. Did this hybrid live to tell the tale?"

"Actually, he's the friend I called and asked to come help us. He's on his way if you wanted to ask him any questions when he gets here," Hayley bit back, arms across her chest.

Marcel paused for a moment, reevaluating Hayley once more. Apparently she'd gone up against Klaus before and had to have succeeded if she was still alive. He'd bite. "The Lockwood kid? So what? You planted a little doubt and he came running?"

"No, he hated Klaus before he was turned. But he broke the bond for a girl."

"So if doubt doesn't work, find someone they love?"

"Just find a way for them to see Klaus as he is, not who they think he is. I'll do the rest." She hesitated before continuing. "But yeah, if that doesn't work, we force them."

"And why should I trust this Lockwood guy? I've never met him."

"He's Klaus' first hybrid. Tyler will do anything to take down Klaus." Even working with me, Hayley thought to herself. "That makes him our most reliable ally." 

Ally. The word struck a chord in Marcel. He had to visibly refrain from his self disgust at working with wolves. It slipped away quickly when he remembered the moment the city was his again, the wolves would be out of the French quarter for good. He wondered briefly as he examined Hayely's stoic face if she knew what allying with him entailed? If she was planning for him to turn on her? So he asked, "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Every connotation that question could have, he meant. 

Hayley didn't hesitate in response. "Yeah. I'm surviving."

 

~

 

As odd as staying in New Orleans was, Caroline had to admit one thing: the bed she slept in was like a cloud. So much so she almost managed to get some sleep. After someone brought her bags to her, Caroline pushed away all thoughts regarding how Klaus knew where she was staying or how his minions managed to get into the motel room. Instead she showered away the stress of the day, changed into her only change of clothes (which would become a problem if their stay lasted longer than she intended), and set her mind to organization. In the past hour alone Caroline learned more about the situation in New Orleans that her imagination could have conjured up. 

Finding some paper stashed away in a small desk and a black pen, she set to work. Caroline was a visual person, she liked charts and infographics and most importantly, she liked order. Order meant things were under control. And when things were under control, Caroline could breathe easy. 

Scribbling away, Caroline listed all the players in the game so far because she had a feeling things had become infinitely more complicated the moment she set foot in New Orleans. She came to the conclusion that Klaus was Klaus. He has Tom somewhere and she was intent on finding him (his name had a massive question make next to it Caroline idly retraced). There were an abundance of Hybrids (though Caroline cursed herself for not getting a head count). Rebekah and Elijah stood astutely at his side. The witches of New Orleans were apparently helping them hide Tom which had to mean he wasn't locked away in a closet on feeding tubes somewhere (hopefully). They were also helping the Originals raise Kol from the dead (and apparently if that didn't work out Klaus hoped the Travelers would do it for him?). But all that meant was that they must have done something to win the witches favor because if being friends with Bonnie taught her anything, it was that witches and vampires do not get along.

Along with that, Enzo wanted Tom dead at all costs to pay off this debt he owed the Travelers. Marcel apparently controlled the city before Klaus moved back to town and was now at 'war' with Klaus for New Orleans (though it clearly looked like Klaus won). Stefan was still being held captive. Her mom and everyone else in Mystic Falls still had no clue she was in New Orleans. Klaus and her would still probably have to face each other. 

That was another reason why she was a relationship or single gal, hook ups were messy on their own. Throw in an Original hybrid and Caroline had the biggest mess anyone's love life had ever seen (well, maybe aside from the Elena, Damon, Stefan bizarro-ness that went on). Yes, this topped Tyler being sired to Klaus while they were together because every party involved knew where they stood. Now, Caroline didn't know what she meant to Klaus. More importantly, she didn't know what Klaus meant to her. 

In the end, the page she'd written on was a mess of black ink, words and thought bubbles connected by swift strokes and long arrows. Vampires didn't get headaches but Caroline felt like her head might explode if she pondered the conundrum she'd voluntarily walked into for even a second longer. 

Turning her attention to the room she was currently in, Caroline couldn't help but admire the way the room, and the house itself, appeared to reconcile the rich history of New Orleans with minimalist demands of modernity. Everything around her was light, airy, and old. It was a breath of fresh air and she couldn't believe it after only having seen a few streets and parts of this very old home. It was nothing like Mystic Falls she settled. It was darker. Just walking the streets earlier, even when she was escorted here, it felt different. Something thrummed in the very air of New Orleans and Caroline couldn't put her finger on it. 

She'd spent hours tossing and turning after that. The bed was heaven, Caroline's mind just wouldn't turn off. She watched the sun rise wondering if she'd get any sleep throughout the day and tried hard not to laugh at the irony of her current sleeping habits. 

When the sun was high enough in the sky she'd come to the realization that sleep was not coming. Coffee and blood would have to keep her alive. Having slept in her clothes Caroline wandered to her bag and dabbed concealer under her eyes. Any stress or weakness she had, she had to leave in this room. This was not Mystic Falls. It was not a revelation, she knew this. This was not Mystic Falls and she had no allies here and that would not dissuade her from saving Stefan's life.

Taking a deep breath, she left the haven behind and went searching for blood bags. It was highly unlikely the Originals would keep them on hand but she hoped whoever had gone to fetch her bags had checked the motel mini fridge for her own supply. And if they didn't, coffee would have to suffice until she found a local hospital.

Finding the kitchen was easy. What she found was harder to fathom. Klaus was cooking. Standing in the doorway watching his back as he cracked an egg easily with one hand, Caroline knew he realized she was watching. She wasn't at all surprised when he greeted her good morning, lifting his gaze momentarily to meet her gaze.

"I didn't know you could cook," came her reply as she side stepped the island to the fridge. 

"Unfortunately love, there are a lot of things you don't know about me."

He'd lived a thousand years. Caroline was sure she'd never know everything about him even if she wanted to. Not bothering to answer him, she skimmed over the subject and reached for the fridge door. "Did your minions check for blood bags when they went to go get my stuff?"

She could feel the smile on his face when she pulled open the fridge door and found not only her blood bags from Mystic Falls General, but new bags from Tulane Medical Center. He'd gotten her blood bags. It was such a Klaus thing to do, at least when it came to Caroline, that it was almost annoying. It's like he expected her to stay longer than she intended. 

"As you can see, my minions as you so pointedly called them, were asked to accommodate your dietary choices for the duration of your stay." He was so damn smug. Suppressing a huff, she reached for a bag from Mystic Falls and let the fridge door fall shut. 

Uncapping the bag, a glass was slid in front of her across the island. She stared at it a moment before following the hand back that had guided it towards her. Catching his gaze, Caroline was finally struck by the situation. Klaus wore his dark jeans and a Henley with a cooking towel thrown over his shoulder. It was strikingly domestic. If she hadn't of known him, known what he'd done and what he was capable of, Caroline could see herself falling for this Klaus. The one who paints in his free time, who cooks, who adores his sister, who is well traveled, who is a gentleman, and who is determined to a fault. But he is Klaus. The Original Hybrid who specialized in terror and murder. She could never love that man.

Then her eyes fell on the glass. It sat in front of her, pushed towards her by Klaus who expected her to pour blood into it. She didn't even want to touch it. Pouring blood into a glass to drink felt like humanizing vampirism. While she was all about humanity, it didn't sit right with her. Glasses were a human convention. Vampires drank from the vein. She'd found a loophole and she intended to stand by it. Even if the look her gave her resembled a dare.

Pulling her from her reverie, Klaus spoke over the sizzle of eggs in a hot pan. "It's just a glass Caroline."

It was not just a glass. Shaking her head, Caroline stood up straighter and met his gaze. "Do you have coffee?"

He stared a moment longer before acquiescing, nodding over towards a coffee maker. "The cupboard above it."

She said nothing more, instead sipping from her blood bag as she perused his pitiful coffee assortment. When she couldn't hold it in any longer, she sighed in frustration and picked the first bag she'd laid eyes on. "You need more coffee. Actually, better coffee."

"Sorry sweetheart, unlike Stefan no one here finds any need to quell their thirst."

"This has nothing to do with thirst, this has to do with quality," she huffed, slipping past him with the coffee jug in hand to fill. "What are you making anyway?" she asked to fill the air. If she stopped speaking about the mundane things their conversation would lull and she'd be pulled back to their time together and where that really left them. Those were thoughts she didn't want to think. Not yet. Not here.

"A rather simple omelette love," Klaus smiled, flipping one in his fry pan for show. "I assume you'll have one."

She readied herself to decline but the smell of eggs and fresh vegetables assaulted her, changing her mind. Human food kept her vampire urges at bay, she'd learned that early on. As the coffee maker sprung to life she nodded and said, "Sure, just don't kill me with your cooking."

"I'm a fantastic cook."

Leaning over the counter, Caroline gave him a skeptical look. "You have to be bad at something."

"I've had a thousand years to perfect everything."

"I don't believe that's possible." His eyebrows shot up to his forehead as a smile tugged at his lips. He was daring her, try me, his face begged. He enjoyed this; how she challenged him.

Challenge accepted. Caroline decided to pop bread into a toaster sitting idly on the counter–because seriously, Klaus was not going to feed her an omelette without toast–as she pondered what must be difficult enough that someone would avoid learning for a thousand years. "Physics? No one likes physics unless they're a physicist. You can't have perfected that."

"As a man scorned for thinking Earth wasn't the center of the universe what with how self important humans can be, Galileo was rather eager to express his views to anyone who'd listen. So, I listened." As he spoke he slid his second omelette off a fry pan and onto a plate in front of Caroline. 

She didn't know what to say. So she asked the silliest thought to come to mind. "You met Galileo?" Of course he did. He was a bajillion years old, he's probably met everyone Caroline learned about in school. Before he could say anything else, the toaster popped the bread up and Caroline reached for them quickly. "Okay, so you met Galileo. Big whoop. That's classic physics. Have you perfected modern physics?"

And Klaus laughed. He couldn't help it. "I'll concede. No I have not. The humanities kept me quite occupied over the centuries."

"Let me guess, you've met Shakespeare too and the conspiracy of his wife writing all his work is true. Or wait, better yet, Sir Francis Bacon."

Pouring her juice, Klaus simply smiled as if a secret lay upon his lips. "Women were not treated well in Medieval Europe. Rebekah hated it."

Her jaw dropped. "His wife wrote his plays?"

"Or perhaps it was Bacon. He certainly wasn't a dull man."

"Klaus," she snapped, not wanting to play his game. 

"Caroline," he countered, smiling. It reminded her of the day he was her date to the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. His smile that day, it was effortless. She never saw it on his face again. It lived only in her memory. Until today. And try as she might, she couldn't not smile back at him because this Klaus was the Klaus no one ever saw. This was a Klaus she was beginning to believe he reserved only for her and what a thought that was. 

Maybe she would have continued their banter because really she couldn't remember how long it'd been since she had a conversation so light but the smoke coming from next to the stovetop caught her attention . "Uhh Chef Klaus, are you burning something?"

He didn't need to look back, he knew what she was talking about. He was more caught up in her nickname, how it made him smile despite the clear mockery. "It's spelled sage for privacy. You mentioned wanting to speak without Enzo listening. Though I'm sure my cooking skills are on par, it was a simple rouse to not raise suspicions."

"And here I thought you were trying to make a girl breakfast," Caroline replied, a wry smile on her face as she stabbed at her omlette. Klaus waited for her to take a bite before making any comment and watched in delight as her eyes widened. It was amazing. Best omelette she'd ever had and seriously couldn't he be bad at something? "This is really good," she commented. "Not to inflate your ego any more though I don't know if that possible anymore. What is it that they're calling you, the King of New Orleans?"

"Rightfully so," he affirmed.

"Oh, really?" Skepticism was clear in Caroline's voice because all she'd ever known of Klaus was a grandiose arrogance.

Yet it didn't make him angry. Anyone else and he'd have them hanging by their throat until they understood that he was King and he could do whatever it is he pleases. This was Caroline. Curious, beautiful, lovely Caroline. He'd explain it all to her if she gave him the chance. "Well I did found this city as New Orleans and as the supernatural heart of the United States."

Caroline wasn't surprised anymore at anything he was saying. A thousand years was a long time, founding a few cities had to have occurred along the way. She wondered if it was boredom. "Is that why taking it back from this Marcel guy was so important?"

"Partially," he replied. Caroline was ready to ask another question but Klaus surprised her. He continued to speak willingly. "Marcel was my protégé, my siblings and I raised him from a child and turned him. To make a rather long story short, Mikael found us and we fled thinking Marcel dead. Imagine my surprise at discovering he was not only alive but thriving in my city."

"And this Marcel guy is who Enzo and I met at the bar last night?"

"Did he say anything to you?" What he meant was, did he do anything to you?

"No, he just came over and introduced himself. Creepy charming, all smiles and teeth. Elliot interrupted us. Him and Marcel had a little grrr moment about kingdoms and stalemates."

"It was smart of you," Klaus finally said after assessing what Caroline had told him with what Elliot expressed to him last night after everyone had dispersed. When Caroline gave him a puzzled look he continued, "Not mentioning me to Elliot or Marcel. It was a smart tactic."

She was taken aback. No one ever said that. In Mystic Falls she was blonde barbie, always a distraction or a tool. Stefan acknowledged her ideas but outside of him it was rare. "Thank you," she said hesitantly. She didn't want to think of her insecurities right now so she asked what'd been burning in her mind all night. "I still don't understand why a supernatural presence in New Orleans is so important."

"My siblings and I, we drew the witches to us when we began wreaking havoc. They said something about their endeavor to keep the balance and they never left. I built the supernatural presence, the freedom, here. It drew the werewolves and seers, even a few kitsune. And in my absence Marcel has done away with the coalition I'd built and destroyed the magic of this beautiful city. I intend to restore it."

"Coalition?" This surprised her. Klaus was typically an all for one type of guy.

"The Faction. We once lived in peace here," Klaus reminisced. "The witches, werewolves, vampires. Naturally we hated each other but Elijah pressed for tentative peace." 

"I didn't think that was possible. Witches and wolves hate us. Well me, cause you're the Hybrid and all."

Klaus smiled ruefully. "It was possible. We were happy here. The witches practiced their magic, the wolves roamed the Bayou and us vampires kept our indiscretions as minimal as possible."

"So you basically created a United Nations of supernatural beings and Marcel threw caution to the wind when you left."

"Well that's one way to put it," Klaus chuckled. "It's no matter now. Marcel only needs to be dealt with. He's no longer a threat and New Orleans will return to its former glory."

"He doesn't seem to think he isn't a threat."

"Marcel has lived an insignificant two centuries off of everything I built. I created him Caroline. He's not a threat."

They were silent for a moment as Caroline absorbed this. It felt like she'd walked into the aftermath of a supernatural war that didn't feel over. It felt like it was just beginning. "But enough of Marcel and woefully fallen regimes. You had to tell me something."

"Right," Caroline replied, straightening up in her seat. "So you know the Travelers want Tom and they're holding Stefan hostage until they get him." Klaus simply nodded, waiting for Caroline to continue. He heard her heart speed up a little and understood this was something important, a game changer. Something Enzo could never know. 

"Well the Travelers don't just want Tom. They kinda want Tom dead." 

Klaus bit back a retort about finding themselves another doppelganger but it appears they already have. Watching Klaus's fingers tighten around his fork, Caroline continued quickly. "I don't know why Tom needs to die but I don't want him to. Stefan doesn't want him to. But Enzo will kill him the first opportunity he sees."

"Then we won't give him an opportunity."

"The Travelers have to think I'm helping them. Enzo has to believe that. For Stefan's sake."

"And you want me to believe you want Tom alive?" It was a double edged sword. Tom's death would mean no more hybrids. But she couldn't do that just as she wouldn't have killed Elena. So yes, she wanted him to know that she wanted Tom to live.

"I do want Tom alive. There's no reason for him to die."

"Very well. We'll keep up a charade where Enzo is concerned."

"And the Travelers?"

"I have no intention of killing Tom."

"Than what are you gonna tell the Travelers? Cause I'm pretty sure they're not gonna be happy with that. Or want to bring Kol back for you without something in return."

"The Travelers are not setting foot in my city until I know they are useful."

"You mean you're not letting them get anywhere near Tom." Klaus leveled her with a stare. "Where is he?"

"He is safe."

"That's not an answer to my question," Caroline fired back, sitting up straighter, breakfast forgotten. "Safe to you could mean locked up in a tower being drained of blood."

His face hardened. The judgment in her tone was expected, he assumptions, all of it. Of course Klaus, the monster of all monsters, would do something so terrible. "Caroline," he deadpanned, conveying that Tom's whereabouts were not up for discussion.

"Klaus," she countered, unwilling to take no for an answer. 

Their conversation ended with the arrival of Elijah. A rather displeased Elijah who could not hear their conversation because he smelled sage. Eyeing both Klaus and Caroline, he wondered about the girl. Niklaus said nothing of her yet here he was making breakfast, enjoying a private conversation, and letting her, or what appeared to be, butt heads with him.

"Excuse me for interrupting your breakfast Miss Forbes but Niklaus and I have a matter to attend to with the witches."

"Please, call me Caroline," she answered, relaxing her shoulders she hadn't known she had tensed. She'd never met Elijah but Elena had trusted him at one point. She said he was a man of his word and so she would not be hostile. After all, he'd been the one to ask her and Enzo to stay last night.

Elijah nodded before turning his attention back to Niklaus. "Brother. I see you've made good use of the sage."

"Good morning to you too Elijah."

"I sincerely hope you haven't forgotten about our meeting with the witches."

"Of course not brother. I was just about to tell Caroline that I had an errand to run and that this conversation is over." His eyes fell on her as she finished speaking and she saw through his smile and shot him a glare that said no, this conversation was most certainly not over. 

Eyeing the two curiously, Elijah made a note to ask Niklaus what it is he discussed with their house guest in the presence of spelled sage. "Excuse us Caroline. It was nice to see you again," Elijah bid adieu, his eyes scanning over her one last time before heading for the door. 

Klaus followed, walking away from Caroline and the breakfast he'd made. Pausing in the doorway, he spoke lowly because he was not so much the monster she thought him to be. "You'd be pleased to hear Caroline, that the emergency room staff at Tulane Medical Center are very pleased with Tom's company."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. Really. No number of apologies could explain why this took so long. I've been having some writers block. I do prefer longer updates but if you guys would prefer shorter updates let me know, I'll give them a shot.

The day was bright and sunny, yet tourists crowded through the New Orleans cemetery in fascination with cameras and off handed jokes. The allure that surrounded New Orleans was plagued with death, deformity, and debauchery. Even in broad daylight the decrepit crypts told more gruesome tales than any ordinary cemetery. In New Orleans cemeteries are adoringly dubbed Cities of the Dead by the humans. If only they knew how wrong they were. They weren't visiting it in a cemetery, the moment they stepped foot in New Orleans they spent every waking hour in the City of the Dead. 

Klaus was not the least bit excited to meet with the witches, especially amongst tourism hours. Sophie Deveraux was the witches spokeswoman and Clan Elder. Though her position was monumentally the fault of the Originals and Klaus himself, he still couldn't be bothered to understand why her. Anyone else could have consecrated his mother's bones in the New Orleans cemetery but it had to be Sophie. It took a special man and an excruciating amount of patience, which Klaus had none of, to deal with the Deveraux witch. It's why Elijah tends to these meetings on his own. With the witches allocating the necessities for a spell to bring Kol back and the recent news of the Travelers however, it was imperative that Klaus also be present. 

As they walked, Elijah pondered how to broach the question that had been burning under his skin since spying his brother and a miss Caroline Forbes sharing breakfast this morning. Of course over the years Klaus had taken an interest in a number of pretty girls, most of which were never seen again, but there was something different in the way Klaus regarded Caroline. 

"If there's something on your mind Elijah I suggest speaking is the best remedy to that look on your face."

Startled, but ever the put together Original, Elijah merely shook his head. "Nothing at all. Simply thinking about our guests."

"Ahh, let me guess," Klaus smiled, crossing his arms behind his back. "You must be wondering why I haven't killed the unnecessary companion yet."

"More along the thought of, why have you been considering killing him?"

"Must I remind you, he is a loose end."

"And Caroline is not?" Klaus visibly tensed and Elijah knew he'd hit the target. Baiting him, Elijah continued. "I assume once they've outrun their use they'll be, shall I say...disposed of, properly."

Klaus' wolf side still startled Elijah on occasion. Now, with a deep growl emitting from his throat as he paused in their walk, was one of them. "Touch a hair on her head Elijah and you'll know the inside of a coffin longer than Fin."

They fell back into step for a few beats before Elijah finally spoke again, duly noting his brother would make do on his threat. "You care for her."

"I'm failing to see the purpose of this conversation."

"I'm failing to see how this isn't a purposeful conversation." Klaus said nothing in reply as they approached the cemetery gates, indicating that however opposed to it Elijah was, the conversation was over. The crypts stood tall and dirty, casting shadows on the dilapidated cobble stone paths. Over the years the Deveraux's became crypt keepers in an effort to remain close to their deceased ancestors. Their home became the epicenter of witch activity despite being precariously close to the French Quarter Marcel once ruled. With the regime shift, Klaus allowed magic in the French Quarter. His punishments for breaking any of his rules on the other hand would make Marcel's scare tactics look like child's play. 

Entering the grounds of the Deveraux family home, Elijah and Klaus were met with the sight of the inefficaciously cheerful home amongst the home of the dead. Before either could further announce their presence, Sophie had intercepted them. Nodding in greeting, she stepped out on the front porch, refusing to let them in to their only sanctuary. Klaus stretched out his senses and took note that a few younger witches and warlock's were in her company today. 

"How has the research been going?" Elijah asked, skipping pleasantries altogether. 

"Slow," Sophie replied, fiddling with her fingers. 

"Well maybe we need to supply some encouragement to speed the process up, seeing as it's been going 'slow' as you so articulately put it, for weeks now," Klaus drawled, the picture of patient. 

"We're doing all that we can with the grimoires you provided," Sophie rushed, frustration evident on her pale features. "There's only a few of us left. Anything too rash could kill the rest of us. Or worse, do something to screw up the Other Side."

Elijah grimaced when he remembered the dwindling population of witches New Orleans currently had. It reeked of Marcel's tyranny and it created an obstacle for both them and the Originals. Sighing, he finally took the step Elijah knew Klaus would never. "Is there anything we can do to speed the process along?"

"I think we've helped the witches enough, brother," Klaus seethed at their incompetence. 

"We're trying Klaus, but the Other Side is complicated. We're looking into something called an anchor. We came across it in one of your mother's grimoires. I think it could help us."

"Help you how?" Elijah asked.

"Well most spells, big ones at least, are anchored to something. The Other Side is just a veil, it's a big spell so it has to have an anchor, something keeping it together. Maybe even acting as an entrance where both sides meet or something."

"And where can we find this anchor?" Klaus asked slowly.

"We don't know yet," Sophie replied softly. "We're looking. It's old magic so no one's heard of or seen it for centuries."

"You should know Sophie that if you cannot obtain the means to bring my brother back I have other avenues which would render you and your lot entirely useless," Klaus replied after a short moment of silence.

"Other avenues?" Sophie asked incredulously. She doubted any clan of witches would help Klaus out of the kindness of their hearts. However, as a clan elder, she knew having the Originals indebted to any clan was enticing enough for any witch.

"A clan called the Travelers. Darker magic, effective nonetheless," Klaus quipped. Without having spoken to the Travelers, Klaus was still confident he could obtain their assistance. If not, at the very least the mere mention to Sophie of the possibility of her clan not repaying Klaus' kind move of freeing the witches would speed things up.

"The Travelers?" Sophie asked in disbelief. "Do you even know anything about the Travelers? Like how much of a bad idea it would be to bring them to New Orleans."

"We know enough, Sophie," Elijah interjected. "Whether or not their presence in New Orleans is good or not is not our concern right now, though I can't seem to find a viable reason why it wouldn't benefit us. Our concern is our brother."

"They have a vendetta against all other witches," Sophie explained, ignoring Elijah's gentle warning to stay on topic. "They have a plan and every witch knows they're getting really close to seeing it through."

"Pray tell, what is this plan?" Klaus mused. The Originals had heard every rumor on the mill about the Travelers. Only a few held remotely true in their eyes.

Sophie, however, floundered, her face paling before flooding with color. "We're not sure but it's some sort of attack on magic. There's always whispers of it on the Other Side."

"Well maybe," Klaus smirked, stepping forward and invading her personal space, "you should be listening to the whispers about resurrecting Kol before I decide you are entirely useless."

Clearing his throat to prompt his brother to step away from the witch, Elijah spoke. "I believe our deadline hasn't changed. The blood moon it is still?"

"Yes, we'll look into the anchor to the other side. The night of the blood moon is our best chance, it's when the veil is the weakest."

"Since you appear to be dillydallying, I'll contact some old sources about this anchor. You have mere days." Not saying any more, Klaus stepped off the Deveraux porch, expecting his brother to follow him. Their meeting was intended to be a status update but Sophie, left standing on her porch in a daze, couldn't help but think it was more of a threat. 

 

~

 

After finishing breakfast on her own, Caroline made it her priority to discover Rebekah's whereabouts before seeking out Enzo. When one of Klaus' minions mentioned she'd left for breakfast and a stroll around the quarter, Caroline let out a breath of relief. While discovering this, it seemed Enzo was intent of finding her first. The Mikaelson home was large, but not large enough for Caroline to keep dodging him. 

"Morning blondie," Enzo finally greeted her across the courtyard after catching up to her. Before Caroline could even respond, Enzo continued. "It's been a solid two seconds, have you forgotten where the door is? Or are you done running at the sight of me?"

"I'm not running at the sight of you," Caroline scoffed. "I just had to make sure there weren't any Original vampires in the house," she added, her voice softer.

"Ahh, I take it we have some things to discuss then." Without further ado, Caroline stepped out of the courtyard, expecting Enzo to follow her. The first room with a door she found looked like a parlor or study of some sort. With the amount of rooms in the house she didn't care what it was called, just that the door closed tightly behind them. She sighed heavily before turning to face Enzo. 

"I lied to Klaus."

"I was there."

"But then I told him the truth."

"All right."

"It was just easier that way. Immediately telling Klaus we were in town to kill his hybrid making blood bag wasn't exactly a good plan."

"I agree. So?"

"So? So what?"

"So what is our plan?"

"Oh," Caroline replied. "Right. The plan for now is to let Klaus try and barter with the Travelers. I need him to believe that I want Tom alive because it will help keep Stefan alive. It will make the whole second part of the plan easier."

"Right, so the second part of the plan would be to find Tom while Klaus and the Travelers have their little dance of dominance?"

"Okay ew. There were so many ways that sentence could have been said."

"Speaking of innuendos–"

"–We weren't speaking of innuendos–"

"You failed to mention your relationship with the big bad," Enzo continued as if Caroline hadn't spoken. "Now I know we're partners here but really gorgeous, you've got to give me a little more to trust you on."

Caroline internally cringed and outwardly scoffed at the adjective turned pet name. Crossing her arms, Caroline finally conceded. "We had a thing. A very small thing I can't even begin to describe."

"Had?" Enzo asked skeptically, his eyebrows rising.

"Yes, had," Caroline fired back, her arms dropping to her hips in annoyance.

The smile that graced Enzo's face was grating against Caroline's frayed nerves. He continued to speak though as if nothing was wrong. "And this thing, it entailed?"

"It entailed thing-stuff," she trailed off, not wanting to talk about it anymore. 

"It had to be some pretty intense stuff for the bloke to be in love with you."

"He is not in love with me!" He was. Caroline knew it. Caroline knew it before Klaus himself knew it. But now was not the time for the truth or emotions or truthful emotions for that matter. 

"Don't be such a blonde, blondie. You already know he is. Just admit it."

Huffing in frustration, Caroline was at her wits end with this conversation. "We slept together, once. No love. Just a messy hook up. Now I'm done having this conversation."

Just as Caroline headed for the door it swung open, revealing an immaculately dressed Rebekah Mikaelson. "Good, I don't much want to hear more about yours and my brother's love life. Though I must say, that does explain his uncharacteristically good mood after visiting Mystic Falls. And here I thought it was simply the death of the doppelganger whore that caused so much joy."

"Rebekah," Caroline greeted, hoping the Original didn't hear the spike in her heart rate.

"Caroline," she responded, giving her an appraising look. "And this is Enzo," she finally addressed, eyeing the brunette from head to toe. "Right, why are you here again?" 

"I believe I'm here trying to save Stefan's life."

Rebekah's unnerving gaze fell on him one more time when she realized that's not what he said last night. "Why would you care about Stefan?" she finally asked.

"His brother is my friend," Enzo replied monotonously. 

"Damon? Salvatore?" Rebekah asked incredulously. "He has friends?"

"My thought exactly," Caroline murmured under her breath. When the Original's eyes fell on her, Caroline stood a little straighter and spoke louder. "What do you want Rebekah?"

Instead of mentioning that Enzo did not mention saving Stefan last night as his reason for presence, Rebekah filed it away and moved on, her entire demeanor changed. "What's going on with Stefan." It wasn't a question.

"I already told you, he turned himself over to the Travelers to help save Damon and Elena's life."

"Yes, yes, the tragic love story, I got that part," Rebekah quickly brushed off. "I mean what do they want with him."

"To find Tom--"

Huffing in deep annoyance, Rebekah cut her off once more, "Yes, but for what?" 

"I don't know," Caroline exclaimed. "I'm here to save Stefan, Rebekah. I don't really care what the Travelers want."

Before anyone else could say anything, Klaus and Elijah quietly entered the room. "Unfortunately love," Klaus announced, "we may have to care about what the Travelers want."

"We've hit a snag in our plans with the witches," Elijah elaborated. "They're looking for some sort of anchor. God knows how long it could take them."

"Yes, and since the Travelers need to be dealt with, best kill two birds with one stone I say."

"An anchor?" Caroline asked, her skin going paler than usual. "Did they say what it was or anything?" Breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, Caroline willed her heart rate to decrease, now. She could not get Bonnie involved in this. Not when no one from Mystic Falls, not even her mother, knew she was here, in New Orleans. This had to be dealt with here, quickly, so she could go home and pretend like nothing ever happened. 

Klaus eyed her curiously before answering her question. "Only that it is presumably what is keeping the Other Side together. Possibly acting as an entrance."

"Yes, in which case," Elijah added, "it is imperative we find it. I assume Kol is not going to materialize in thin air."

"Yes, and I'm sure your New Orleans witches are capable of finding something that old," Rebekah spat. "Mother used to speak of it. She didn't know who or what it was, only that every supernatural creature that died passed through the anchor."

"Ergo, they must pass through to come back," Klaus finished for her sister, his tone determined now. "So I think Caroline love, it's time we had a little chat with the Travelers."

It took Caroline a full few seconds to realize she was being spoken too. Her mind was a mess of protecting her best friend. Bonnie had been through enough. She'd died for Gods sakes. Caroline would do anything to keep Bonnie out of this but it didn't seem the universe had that in store for her. Acting quickly before anyone noticed her stuck in her reverie, Caroline pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and called Stefan's phone. 

Propping the phone on a side table and turning the speaker function on, Caroline waited for Sloan to pick up, not that she wanted to hear her snarky voice. "If he's not dead yet Caroline, Stefan will be," she greeted.

"How wonderful to hear your voice too," Enzo muttered under his breath behind her while Elijah and Rebekah's eyes flew to Klaus. Instead of explaining, he simply nodded his head as if the matter was already taken care of. 

Grinding her teeth so hard Caroline felt like she'd cracked her molars only to feel them re-heal before she spoke. "Put Stefan on the phone."

A few moments of rustling later, his voice came through the speakers. "Caroline?"

"Stefan?" Caroline asked worriedly. "Are you all right? They're not doing that mind meldy thing anymore are they?"

"No, not anymore," he groaned. "They do however have taken a liking to my blood or something. Anyways, how's the 'find Stefan's doppelganger' mission going?"

"Well for starters," she began while glancing around the room, "I was right."

"So you found Klaus?"

"Hello Stefan," he greeted, a small smirk on his face. 

"Klaus," Stefan replied. "I'd say good to hear your voice but I'm guessing you're unwillingness to give up Tom is the reason I'm still being bled."

"I'm hurt Stefan," Klaus answered. "Here I am about to save your life and–"

Before Klaus could finish his sentence, Caroline butt in. "Okay enough. We've got more important things to worry about that you two chatting it up like old friends."

While Klaus did shoot her a glare, he agreed. Instead of having the opportunity to speak, Sloan decided it was her turn. "Speaking of, why isn't Tom dead yet?"

"I'm working on it Sloan," Caroline shot back. "In fact, the man holding your precious doppelganger captive wants to have a word with you."

"Sloan, is it?" Klaus greeted, sitting himself in an armchair and propping his feet up. "How nice it is to speak to you."

"What do you want Hybrid?" Sloan inquired, skipping all pleasantries as usual. 

"Well I want you to let go of my friend," Klaus answered pointedly. "But we both know it isn't quite that simple. See, I have a doppelganger in my possession that you want. I'm not quite ready to bring him to the slaughter. There is however something you can do for me that could persuade me."

"I don't need to persuade you. I need Tom dead."

"But that's where you're wrong," Klaus answered slowly, leaning forward in his seat. Caroline watched his every move and realized Klaus emanated every bit of danger the world imagined in him. "Caroline and Enzo, no one for that matter, will come near Tom without my consent. Their assassination plot is put on hold, you see. "

There was silence on the other end before Sloan's deadly voice came through the phone. "I am older than you Hybrid."

"Yes, that you are," Klaus conceded. "But you're a witch who doesn't practice traditional magic. Or is it, you can't access traditional magic?"

Klaus was toying with her. Rebekah and Elijah who were terribly used to this found themselves staring at their nails in boredom while Caroline and Enzo clung to every word. It didn't help that the mystery that surrounded the Travelers wasn't new to the Originals. 

There was silence once again before Sloan spoke, "What do you want?"

Smiling, Klaus met Caroline's shocked gaze and sent her a wink. "I'm glad we can see eye to eye on this. Now down to the matter of import. I'm sure you're aware that my siblings and I are woefully two Originals short. Well we're endeavoring to remedy that situation with the return of one."

"You want us to bring back one of your brothers?"

"It's quite simple really. Return us one of our brothers. You take Tom. We are returned Stefan. And Caroline and Enzo are free from doing your bidding."

Rebekah stood and met Elijah's eyes upon hearing that. Could her brother really be giving up his life's work for Stefan? For Kol? Klaus shot his siblings an imperceptible glare only they could see indicating he had a plan and they were not to ruin it. 

"You want one of your brothers? That is all?"

"Yes."

More silence on the phone before Sloan spoke lowly. "We have a deal. There are conditions however."

Sighing, Klaus took the bait. "And they would be?"

"We will wait until the blood moon, it will easiest then." Klaus cursed under his breath at the Travelers insisting on keeping to a timeline he didn't want to wait for. 

"Done. And?"

"We will need the blood of Stefan and Tom. Doppelganger blood is powerful. Meaning, Tom will be present at the time of resurrecting your brother."

At this Klaus ground his teeth loudly, his feet beginning to pace in front of the end table that held the phone. "Fine."

"And Caroline?" Sloan asked, pausing everyone's mindless actions and forcing their eyes to her. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Caroline nearly lost her voice. Thankfully, she didn't need to find it before Sloan continued to speak. "Bring the anchor. Or we will." It was a threat. A threat on Bonnie's life. Of course. Save Stefan's and now she had to save Bonnie's. 

There was a click from the phone and Sloan was gone. In the place of her voice was silence. All eyes were trained on Caroline. Her heart rate picked up and she cursed herself for being so shocked she'd forgotten her breathing technique. 

"You know what the anchor is." Rebekah finally spoke, her tone accusatory.

Elijah came up behind his sister and amended her statement, "You know where the anchor is."

Turning his gaze towards her, Klaus demanded an answer. Caroline didn't have one. Hiding the truth about Bonnie would leave her defenseless against the Travelers who would eventually come for her. Telling the truth about Bonnie would drag her into this mess Caroline could barely keep her head above. In a second she chose, what she hoped was, the lesser of two evils. 

Sighing in defeat, she shook her head silently and spoke. "Bonnie died. For months. And we didn't know."

"As hard as I will try to be sorry about your friend dying Caroline, but what does this have to do with the anchor?" Rebekah asked, her patience already thin.

"To make a long story short, Qetsiyah used doppelganger blood to make Bonnie the new anchor."

"The new anchor?" Elijah asked, puzzled. 

At the same moment, Klaus spoke up. "Qetsiyah? Qetsiyah is dead."

Shaking her head at how out of the loop the Originals were, Caroline begrudgingly continued. "Qetsiyah came back before Bonnie lifted the veil to the Other Side and died bringing Jeremy back to life. Her death freed Silas. And we learned about Amara, Silas' one true love and the anchor to the Other Side. Qetsiyah desiccated her and anchored her to the Other Side in revenge because she loved Silas and never wanted Silas and Amara to be together."

There was silence for a moment before Enzo's eyebrows lifted up to his hairline in shocked. "Wow. Talk about a crazy ex-girlfriend."

"Wait," Elijah spoke, even more confused. "Doppelganger blood? Who's doppelganger?"

"Elena, Katherine, and Amara."

"Amara?" Rebekah asked in disbelief. "Don't tell me she started the whole line of doppelgangers?"

While everyone else accepted the information and let it stew for a few moments, Klaus however was seething. "Silas, the oldest and most dangerous immortal to exist, came back to life and none of you bothered to tell any of us?"

Caroline shot him a glare after seeing his mood gone sour after listening attentively. "I'm pretty sure you made it clear you wanted to leave Mystic Falls to get away from our drama. And now you're upset that we didn't tell you about it? Seriously?" 

"Should I have added a clause to my goodbye?" Klaus asked incredulously, stepping closer to Caroline. 

They'd quickly gotten so wrapped up in each other they didn't notice Enzo mutter something about a lover's quarrel or see Rebekah role her eyes as Elijah ushered them out. The eldest Mikaelson knew all he needed to know for now. He'd let the two have at each other for a bit before seeking Niklaus out again for a plan. 

"Klaus, you left!" Caroline exclaimed. "There's no need for clause's or amended goodbyes. Silas came back and we handled it."

"Silas came back, Qetsiyah came back, your best friend became the bloody anchor to the Other Side and you couldn't let me know?"

"What would you have liked me to do Klaus? Should I have called you? What would our conversation been like? 'Sorry to bother you but Silas isn't dead anymore, his psycho ex-witch fiancé is back, and he's pretending to be Stefan half the time'. There was a lot going on and as I recall, you had a freaking war going on here!"

Her words silenced him and she mentally patted herself on the back. Except his teeth ground together tightly and she knew she wasn't going to like what he said next. "You lot were lucky to survive! Will you be so lucky the next time that silly Bermuda triangle of a town is hit with the supernatural?"

"Right, just like we were lucky to survive the Original vampires taking residence in town?" Caroline asked, her frustration sizzling on her skin and burning through her eyes. "I don't need luck. You may be the big bad hybrid and all but you don't have the right to demand to know everything about a town and people you walked away from."

"I have every right to know when it's supernatural and your life could be in danger!" Klaus exclaimed, his eyes flashing the briefest of yellow as they stood toe to toe.

Caroline took a moment to regard his angry features, their heavy breathing, and their proximity. His blue eyes looked at her in that way only he ever did, like he was literally seeing through her. "I don't need saving, Klaus," Caroline finally said, her voice softer. Before Klaus could counter with any of the replies he had prepared, Caroline was walking away from him, exactly as she'd always done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the ending kinda blew up in my face. I didn't really see that coming. it wasn't planned so I just let Klaus and Caroline say what they wanted to say, I didn't question it too much. sorry if it seems OOC but I keep remembering how much Klaus cared about Caroline, how he saved her, how he took shit from no one but her, and they'd been cutting off their little disputes really early on in the previous chapters so I guess it had to go somewhere. i really want to post this update so I can't promise that I won't go back and make changes. 
> 
> Other please leave me some comments! And let me know what you think about smaller updates. If enough people want them I'll consider giving it a go.


	6. Chapter 6

In her frustration, Caroline left the Mikaelson home in a swift rage, ignoring any calls of her name and meeting no one's gaze. She was blocks away on a random street she'd never seen in her life when she realized someone was following her. Stealthily, she tried to lose their trail. When that proved futile she focused her efforts on making them slip up and reveal themselves. 

Finding the perfect window of opportunity, she turned into an alley and waited patiently until her stalker passed. She let out a breath of relief when she noticed it was only Elliot, the Hybrid from the night before. "Did Klaus order you to tail me?" She asked as he walked pass, watching him jump slightly at her voice. It may have been louder than she intended.

"He uh," Elliot stammered, clearly not intending to be caught. "He kinda expanded the whole 'have my heart for dinner' thing to anyone who touches a strand of your hair."

"Well I'm fine, you can go on home now," Caroline said dismissively.

"Yeah, I can't do that," Elliot replied, standing taller than when she caught him stalking. 

Huffing, Caroline glanced around the alley in annoyance before her eyes fell on Elliot one more time. "Sire bond?"

He gave her a curious look before speaking. "That, and I kinda like having my heart in my chest."

"Typical," Caroline rolled her eyes before storming away. "Of course he has someone follow me even though I'm really mad at him. It's so Klaus. He has to control everything. Un-freaking-believable." She continued her musings as Elliot followed her down the street. 

"I know you're ranting, but can I ask you something?" Elliot asked, falling into step next to Caroline.

"I'd make a remark about how you already did but I'm not feeling quirky. Go right ahead."

"How do you know about the sire bond?"

And Caroline couldn't help but scoff at that. "You're not the first of Klaus' hybrids and you're definitely not the first I've met."

"How many have you met?"

Caroline shot him a glance out of the corner of her eye, recalling the twelve hybrids Klaus slaughtered and then Tyler. Tyler who keeps chasing his own death. Tyler who just can't seem to love her more than his revenge. "Enough," she finally replied, her voice dropping octaves after her rant. "Now since I'm stuck with you," she began, changing the subject, "point me in the direction of a bar. I need a drink."

It was nearing lunch time with the sun high in the sky. The people of New Orleans were out full force for lunch and good times. Enjoying being in the center of it, Caroline could almost feel all her animosity slipping away. She was always a strong believer in vibes. Good vibes meant good times and New Orleans was a bundle of good vibes. Strangely, Caroline could see herself here; visiting, living, being a tourist, whatever it was, she could see herself in New Orleans. The colors, the street performers, the allure, she, like everyone else, was drawn to it. And then there was that thrum, that ephemeral thrum she felt in her blood. She couldn't put her finger on it, it was gone before she could really feel it. Whatever it was, it was exhilarating. 

"Soo," Caroline began to speak as they side stepped a street dancer. "Are you like the leader of Klaus' hybrids or something?" 

"Or something," Elliot chuckled, shaking his head in the bright noon light. 

"Okay," Caroline replied slowly, her mind sifting through questions for her next one. "Then how did you first react to becoming a hybrid?" She really wanted to know what horrible thing Klaus did to turn him but figured it might be a bit delicate, and since they only just met, delicate probably shouldn't be broached. Especially considering Caroline had no clue how long Elliot had to cope with his new bloodlust.

All those thoughts flashed through her head, which is why when Elliot spoke next, Caroline was at a loss for words. "It was relieving."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It was a relief," he reiterated, turning his head to meet her gaze. "Do you know how werewolves trigger the curse?" Caroline nodded her head slightly, clinging to each word. "Well, it was relieving to know I wasn't bound by the moon anymore. Changing is just a reminder of what we did to deserve it."

"You don't think your supernatural abilities are a gift?"

"Well it is called the werewolf curse," Elliot chuckled before sudden realization dawned on Caroline.

"Right," she laughed. "Sorry." 

Before Caroline could ask that indelicate question that was itching at the back of her throat, Elliot continued, leading her into a rather quiet bar. "I didn't really have much of a choice anyways. Half of my pack had already decided to change."

As Elliot flagged down the bartender and Caroline slid onto her bar stool her brows furrowed in confusion. "Change?" she inquired, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, Klaus came to us and offered us a choice."

"Us?"

"My pack. I was the alpha," Elliot answered, his eyes drifting off behind Caroline's head for a moment. "One of the weaker wolves–he was new–he couldn't handle the guilt and the change. Most of the time when the curse get's trigger, we become pariahs to the humans. That's why we escape to the woods. He took Klaus' choice and came back to us a new, better, man. It wasn't long before everyone else did too."

"But you're the Alpha," Caroline pondered. "Didn't it make you angry that Klaus was taking your pack?"

"Oh extremely," Elliot chuckled as the bartender finally came around to them with tumblers filled with amber liquid. "But it came down to being with the people I love or sticking to my pride. I guess I'm just glad it was a choice."

"And so you came here?" Caroline asked skeptically. It seemed too perfect. Now she was just looking for the flaw. This, offering a choice, this was not the Klaus she knew. The Klaus she knew demanded what he wanted as if were entitled to it. If those demands weren't filled, he took what he wanted. 

"We were pretty much nomads. We tried living normal lives but it was hard. So we started living in forests, stealing clothes and food when we needed it. Klaus gave us the life we couldn't have." He paused to take a gulp of his drink before chuckling. "He likes to call it his kingdom, but it's home to us now."

"So are you the undeclared alpha of the hybrids?"

"Undeclared maybe," Elliot shrugged. 

Another presence joined the two, entirely unannounced. Caroline felt a shiver crawl up her spine when he spoke. "Now, now, Elliot, careful what you say. Klaus is the alpha male, isn't he? We wouldn't want him to think there's mutiny in any corner of his kingdom. " Marcel spoke with obvious restraint, like the smile on his face wasn't enough to convey his charming guise so his tongue needed to compensate. 

There was malice hiding under that smile that Caroline hadn't seen the night before. She remembered what Klaus had told her this morning over breakfast and was struck by how long ago it felt. 

Pulled from her thoughts by Marcel, he spoke to her gently. "Caroline, if I remember correctly. I see Klaus has graciously granted you permission to stay."

She wanted to say she was staying to save Stefan regardless of what Klaus said but she couldn't. She's still the innocent blonde girl who's just passing through. "He was incredibly kind," she replied with a smile. 

"And I see he left you in the very capable hands of Elliot here," Marcel smirked, his face conveying a message his words did not. 

Caroline did not appreciate the insinuation, any incarnation of it. Before she could say anything however, Elliot did on her behalf. "Actually, I offered to show her around a bit."

"Right, right," Marcel nodded as if he understood completely. "Oh but what happened to Enzo?"

"He had some things to take care of," Caroline replied as dismissively as possible. Best not draw any attention to themselves. Before anyone could say anything more, Caroline's phone began ringing against the bar table. She had planned on ignoring it but "Mom" flashed across the screen. It was her 7th or 9th call, Caroline lost track, and for the sake of getting away from Marcel, she figured now was as good as any time to face the music (i.e the wrath of her mother). "Excuse me, I have to take this," she said as cheerfully as possible before heading for the door and stepping out of the bar. The tension in her shoulders slipped away for the briefest moment before glancing at her blaring phone once again. 

Shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, Caroline answered the phone as innocently as possible. "Hi mom."

"Caroline Forbes where on earth are you? And why haven't you been answering my calls?" Liz Forbes sounded frantic and just angry enough to make Caroline pause and think how long ago it had really been since she'd last spoken to her mother. 

"I'm--I made an impromptu road trip," she said slowly, her voice turning up at the end in hope that she'd take the omission of truth. 

"Really?" Liz Forbes asked, doubtful. "Because Elena and Bonnie have no clue where you are. Stefan is missing and Damon can't seem to find his new friend Enzo. Tell me what's going on Caroline."

She was using her mom voice, 18 years later and it still worked. Sighing, Caroline caved. "I'm in New Orleans."

There was a short pause, an intake of air and then, "Oh sweetheart, are you--"

Before she could go where Caroline knew where this was going, she cut her off. "No, mom, I'm not here for him."

"Okay," Liz answered, recoiling quickly. A pause fell over their conversation as Caroline contemplated how much to say to her mom with Marcel and Elliot probably listening in. "Caroline, if you were, not that you are but if you were, I just want you to know, I want you to find love." Before Caroline could even contemplate what her mother was telling her, she continued. "You're gonna take on this world forever sweetie. I want you to come home to someone who loves you."

This was absolutely insane, Caroline thought to herself. Her mother was actually saying this to her. Caroline wanted to pinch herself in case it was a dream but she hasn't really felt tiny pain since she'd turned, it would do no use. "He's done horrible things, mom," Caroline replied softly, her hand falling to her forehead before running her fingers through her hair. 

"We all have," Liz shot back in response. "And we all will. For the ones we love, we always will."

Caroline didn't want to have this conversation anymore, it was too bizarre and touched too close to a topic she didn't want to think about. "I don't know how long I'll be here," she said, clearing her throat and standing a little taller. "I wish I could explain more but I can't. There are people in town, Travelers, be careful of them."

"That's my line," Liz chuckled dryly. "Caroline, you're okay right?"

"I'm fine mom," she replied. "There are just a few things I need to take care of. I'll be home before you know it."

"Just be careful," Liz warned. "And please check in every once in a while. You're 18 and can snap anyone in half, I know, but I'm your mother and I worry."

Laughing to herself, Caroline nodded, though her mother couldn't see. "I will mom, promise. I love you."

"I love you too sweetie." 

That's all the goodbye either of them needed. And it seemed it was perfectly timed. As Caroline was poised to step back into the bar, Elliot came out in a rush nearly colliding with her. "We have to go. I have to get you back to the compound."

"Why? What's going on? What happened?" Caroline asked quickly, her eyes wandering over Elliot and then finding their way back to Marcel through the open door of the bar. 

"A day walker's been murdered. It was a vampire attack. We need to go." As he spoke, Caroline met Marcel's gaze through the open door. Across the bar he smiled at her, smug and sinister. 

Staring down Marcel next to Elliot, Caroline realized two things. One, Marcel had figured out she wasn't innocently passing through town despite how vague her and her mother had been. Two, Klaus had been tactical. He knew he needed an army. The choice of redemption bred more loyalty than forcing the undead life on people. And while she'd grown used to vilifying him, she couldn't help but feel relieved that he hadn't inspired the same thirst for revenge that seemed to weigh Tyler down. 

 

~

 

Elliot dropped Caroline off at the compound in a rush before leaving immediately. She wondered briefly if Klaus would be there or if he'd ventured off to the scene of the crime once he'd heard. Try as hard as she did, Elliot was adamant in his decision to take her back to the compound. At first she argued, and then argued again, and then pleaded. That is until she realized this was probably her only chance of being in the compound without Klaus hovering to hear her conversation with Bonnie. So she accepted defeat. 

Upon arriving she headed straight up to the room she was staying in and dug out of her phone. Ignoring the missed calls and 'where are you?' texts, Caroline called Bonnie before she chickened out. 

"I knew you were alive but what rock did you crawl under Care?" Bonnie asked, her tone sharp before Caroline could even say a simple hello.

"Well hello to you too. I'm okay, how about yourself? Good? Good," Caroline said, playing out how she wished the conversation had started. 

"Caroline!" Bonnie exclaimed. "This isn't a joke. Where are you? We've been calling and texting you for days."

"I know, I'm sorry Bon," Caroline sighed. "Things just got complicated."

"Tell me something new," Bonnie sighed, finally relieved to know Caroline was okay and being, well, Caroline. 

Caroline had taken to pacing and almost started biting her nails before realizing she'd just gotten them done and there was no time for a new manicure. "I need to tell you something. A few things actually. And I need you to not freak out on me, okay?"

"Why would I freak out?" Bonnie asked before quickly amending her statement. "You are okay, right Caroline?"

"I'm fine. It's Stefan I'm worried about. The Travelers took him." 

"What? Why?" Bonnie asked, standing up quickly in their empty dorm room, ready for any action. 

"They're trying to locate his doppelganger. So in order to free him I agreed to find Tom with Enzo."

"You're with Enzo?" Bonnie asked incredulously. "And who's Tom?"

"Bon no freaking out, okay? I'm freaking out enough as it is, please." 

"Okay, okay, no freaking out. Promise," Bonnie said, her voice softening. 

"Okay," Caroline breathed out, gathering her thoughts. "Tom is Stefan's doppelganger. Enzo and I kind of found him."

"Okay, well, where are you?"

Caroline paused, her mouth opening and closing before she finally bit the bullet. There was no reason to explain the semantics of _how_ the trail led them there, she just needed to get it out there so Bonnie knew. "I'm in New Orleans." 

"You're what?" Bonnie exclaimed. Caroline could hear the pitter patter of her feet through the phone as she began pacing. "You're in New Orleans? Did you run into them?"

"Well funny story," Caroline huffed. "Tom is being hidden by Klaus because he can make hybrids with Tom's blood." 

"What? That's not possible."

"Oh, it's possible. There are tons of hybrids here and I haven't found Tom so Stefan is still captive and there's still more."

"What else could there possibly be?"

Taking a deep breath, Caroline steeled herself for the worst part, the part she knew Bonnie would like the least because it went against everything she ever stood for: the balance of nature. "The Originals want to bring Kol back to life and Klaus somehow brokered a deal with the Travelers to free Stefan, turn over Tom, and get Kol back."

Bonnie was silent for a moment before Caroline was sure realization dawned on her. "And you're telling me this?" she trailed off.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline said what she'd been dreading since speaking to the Travelers earlier that day. "Sloan, the Travelers leader, she told me to bring the anchor to New Orleans, or she will." 

There was a cold silence as realization fell on Bonnie. "Please tell me you have a plan." 

"I do," Caroline rushed out, hating to be the bearer of bad news. "Just come to New Orleans before they take you."

"I have a few things to wrap up but I'll hit the road first thing tomorrow."

"No!" Caroline suddenly exclaimed. "When's the blood moon?"

"What? Why?" Bonnie asked as if her best friend had finally lost her mind. 

"The blood moon Bonnie, when is it?" Caroline pressed.

"Ummm," Bonnie thought for a moment, "April 14th or 15th I think. Why?"

"Don't leave until a few days before. There's a lot more going on in the city than I can tell you in one phone call but I promise I'll explain when you get here."

Bonnie could hear the distress in Caroline's voice and worried for her friend. "Caroline, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Bonnie. I just need you and Stefan to stay safe while we figure this all out." 

"I'll be okay Care," Bonnie assured. "We've been through worse. I'll leave in a few days, okay?"

"Okay. Be safe Bon." It was a warning Caroline prayed to whatever deity was out there Bonnie listened to. She doubted Sloan wouldn't keep an eye on Bonnie, she just hoped she left not too soon and not too late. 

 

~

"Is she safe?" was the first thing Klaus asked Elliot when he arrived at the scene of the murder without Caroline. To everyone's dismay, it had happened in broad daylight and a human had found the body. The police were called before the Originals even knew what happened. A crowd had gathered behind the police line by the time the Mikaelson's had arrived with their entourage.

Elijah had taken care of the coroner and persuaded the police to drop any investigation. The death count numbered one and that body belonged to Chereen. Her petite form was found nearly nailed to an alley wall with a stake in her heart and blood in her tightly coiled black hair. She was a trusted day walker, one of Klaus' inner circle fending off offensives from Marcel's camp and planning their own. 

Klaus wasn't one for sentimentality, he'd lost a soldier and he was at the scene to see what had happened with his own eyes and what was a proportionate retaliation. He was at war and could be nothing but tactical. From what he'd gathered before Elliot arrived was that there was a struggle and Chereen's lover, Perry, a hybrid, was currently missing. 

So when Elliot came bearing the news that Caroline was at the compound, safe, Klaus turned to Elijah with a clearer head. "Judging by the look of Chereen, her and Perry were attacked and it reeks of wolf."

"Perry probably ran when he saw Chereen dead," Elliot piped up as he watched the coroner seal up her body bag and wheel it into the van. "He loved her." 

"And where is he?" Klaus asked. "He knows who attacked them. Find him and bring him to me," Klaus demanded, his voice dangerously low and controlled. "And Elliot?" he asked, turning towards his most trusted hybrid, his face softening just the slightest. "Please inform Chereen's family of their loss so they can make their funeral arrangements."

Nodding, Elliot was off to do what he was told immediately, leaving the brothers to whisper behind the police line. "Certainly you don't think Marcel's working with wolves, do you?" Elijah saw the look on Klaus' face and it was the only think Elijah could think of. 

"This is the work of Marcel. Who he sent however, got sloppy. This wasn't meant to be an attack. He wanted something."

"Marcel and werewolves," Elijah sighed in disbelief. "I thought we'd taught him better." 

"You'd be surprised what a man would do for an army, brother."

~

Night had fallen on New Orleans when Marcel finally made his way to the cabin Hayley kept Perry in. To say he wasn't pleased was an understatement. His orders had been clear. Go in, lure Perry out, and take by force if necessary. He'd had his eyes on Perry for a while, watching how that particular hybrid flew under the radar, did as he was told, and tried to lead a mundane life. He was perfect. 

The plan however, was contingent on Tyler Lockwood's ability to cooperate. Marcel had met him that morning while solidifying details and was not the hybrid's fan. The cabin was nearly silent when he walked in. The only sound that could be heard was Perry's heavy breathing and the occasional rattle of his shackles. 

"What happened out there today?" Marcel asked, his voice booming and startling everyone. 

Standing, Tyler came to his full height and faced Marcel. "Your target here, yeah, he wasn't willing."

"And I made it very clear that if he wasn't, then to take him by force inconspicuously. Do you call being the headline of the 5 o'clock news inconspicuous?!" Marcel exclaimed.

"The plan fell apart Marcel," Hayley finally chimed in, her voice a ray of calm in the storm brewing between the two males. 

"You didn't mention the girl," Tyler spat, his teeth grinding together. "She came out of nowhere and saw everything. She wasn't even a hybrid, we couldn't take her."

"We did what we had to do," Hayley amended, "now we have our hybrid and a lot of work to do."

"I still don't see how this will work, he isn't willing," Tyler murmured under his breath in disagreement. 

"Do you have a problem Lockwood?" Marcel asked, his voice harsh and demanding. 

"Yes, the matter of fact, I do," he answered, temper flaring. "Hayley said I could get a shot at Klaus. Stealing his hybrids who are unwilling to break the sire bond and murdering an innocent girl is gonna get us nowhere."

"You were his first hybrid Lockwood, figure it out," Marcel said, his voice threatening. "Right now I want to focus on gathering info a what could be a new player in the game. She came into town yesterday and I want to know everything there is to know about her."

"Who?" Hayley asked, crossing her arms. 

"She's linked to Klaus somehow. Blond hair, blue eyes, she goes by Caroline."

Tyler's eye widened before falling on Marcel. "Caroline?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger, I know, my apologies. But everything is slowly falling into place so please be patient with me. Some of the ideas I've come up with and where I want to take this makes me so excited and I'm so glad you're all excited with me. Fun fact, it took me a while to settle on what I wanted Tyler to say to end this chapter and I eventually settled on just her name (maybe one day Caroline's name will carry just as much weight as Klaus')
> 
> I know you're probably wondering what the hell Liz Forbes is talking about and I thought about it a lot. I tried to stand in her shoes, someone who had a bad relationship with her daughter for years, who was left by her husband for another man, and never found love again. I figured wanting her daughter to find love is top of the list of things liz wants for caroline, especially if she intends to live forever. it made sense to me, I hope you guys can see it that way too.
> 
> I will shut up but I want to mention something about the timeline. The blood moon that happened this year, April 14th/15th? Yeah that's the date I've chosen for the witches or travelers to be able to bring Kol back because there is lore and myth that the veil to the other side is the weakest on the nights of a blood moon so it seemed fun to incorporate it in this story. so all these pre-goings on happen technically the 2nd week of April even though episode 5x17 aired the last week of march. I'm hope that makes sense. Now I will shut up. Please comment and tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's the next update! Sorry but this has been up on FF.net for almost a week and I just never got around to posting here. But here it is, this monster of a chapter. Seriously, it's over 6,000 words. Enjoy!

Rebekah Mikaelson was persistent. If she didn't remind Caroline of herself so much then maybe there would be more room in her heart to hate her. After their quasi reconciliation after the decade dance the pair hadn't really talked or crossed paths. So when Rebekah stormed into Caroline's room the morning after Chereen's death demanding she accompany her shopping, Caroline was sure she'd lost her mind. 

Still terribly bleary from sleep, Caroline paused and assessed the blonde original as carefully as she could. "We're not even friends," was the first thing that tumbled out of her mouth. Maybe in another circumstance Caroline might have cringed at her head to mouth filter's failure, right now however, she didn't care.

Ever cognizant, Rebekah nodded her head while slowly stepping towards the window. "I hope you've gathered by now that you're not leaving any time soon so those ragged clothes you brought with you will run out fairly quick."

"Where are you going with this? Cause I'd really like to get a few more hours of sleep," she replied while propping herself up on her elbows. Caroline did not need a reminder this early in the morning that she was stuck with two outfits, and was not getting clothes any time soon because she had told Bonnie not to come until the end of the week.

Huffing in annoyance, Rebekah turned on her heel to face Caroline and crossed her arms. "I'm bored and you're in desperate need of clothes. So get up. Maybe we can find you something that doesn't scream small town rags."

Caroline scoffed at that and fell back on her bed. "As much as I'd love to shop, even if it is with you, I don't have the ti–"

"Don't worry, Nik is paying."

Shooting up in bed, Caroline's eyebrows seemed to have followed suit. "He offered to pay?" Money was not what she was going to mention but the news did not surprise her. It was a Klaus thing to do if the blue ball gown hanging in the back of her closet had anything to say about it.

"Not exactly. But since you two are currently fighting, I say the wanker deserves it."

Confused, Caroline asked the first thing to come to mind. "Are you fighting with him too?"

"No. Well yes, we're always fighting. But he's also always a wanker."

Caroline suppressed a laugh while shaking her head. "I'm not his...girlfriend or anything where I can take his card and go shopping. I'm also not that type of girl anyway. So thanks for offering up your brothers card, but no thanks."

"Oh please, save me the drama," Rebekah sighed. "We all know you're going to end up with my brother at some point. And since his options of controlling you since you can die are limited to compulsion and a snapped neck, I suggest you get used to the most basic form of revenge: denting his pocketbook."

Caroline was poised to interrupt the Original's rant but Rebekah kept going. "Now, I suggest you get dressed. I have an afternoon fitting for my ball gown. And we need to find you something to wear between a spa trip and a final cake testing."

Having said her piece, Rebekah stomped towards the door in stilettos Caroline hadn't even realized the blonde was wearing until the would be normal decibel pounded against her vampiric eardrums. Even though Caroline's mind was swarming with questions about this ball Rebekah needed a gown for, she asked the question that jumped to the tip of her tongue. "How are you so sure?"

It was vague. Rebekah shouldn't have known what she was talking about. Actually, Caroline was certain she'd have felt much better if Rebekah had even so much as pretended to not know. But she knew what Caroline was asking. Pausing in the door way, Rebekah turned her head over her shoulder to stare back at the baby vampire. "I think the most obvious answer is, what Nik wants, he gets. But," she paused, assessing Caroline as if unsure of what to say next, "you're also too young and still too human to know what good and bad is."

It was not what she wanted to hear. Ever since Klaus had left Mystic Falls Caroline's mind kept replaying all the awful decisions he made, but from his perspective, more often than usual. While a part of her mind wanted desperately to forget all the bad things he did, another part wanted her to define bad. Lately, that part was screaming for her attention after being locked up in a corner for too long. 

When Klaus had come to Mystic Falls for Katherine's pretend death, Caroline had told him the truth: she hated herself for the truth. Some days she doesn't think the truth is as simple as hating herself for knowing she could love Klaus liking Klaus. Some days she thinks the truth is hating herself for how often she has to remind herself to hate him because of some morals she can't see the line to anymore. 

It often kept her up at night, especially at Whitmore glancing over at Bonnie and Elena's sleeping figures, wondering whether she'd be as alone as Klaus in a thousand years or whether she'd be forced to see the world as collateral damage for the ones she loved; isn't that something she'd already done by choosing Bonnie over 12 strangers? Some nights, the nights she's honest with herself, she's sure she'd do it again without a doubt. On other nights, the nights she wished she'd never met him because of the emotions he stirred deep within her young vampiric soul, she's so adamant she'd find another way like her determination is the only reminder she had left.

Pushing the covers back, Caroline trudged out of bed. It wasn't fair how often Klaus plagued her mind and it certainly wasn't fair how often his love for her forced her to question her morality. That's all she ever wanted, to be loved by her father enough to come back to her, to be loved by her mother enough to stay home, to be loved by Damon enough to have a choice, to be loved by Matt enough for him to stay, and to be loved by Tyler enough for him to choose her. The one man that did choose her, who always chose her, wasn't someone she could so easily choose. The fates apparently had an ironic sense of humor where Caroline was involved.

After dressing in the clothes she'd arrived in, Caroline decided that yes, maybe she could manage shopping with Rebekah if it meant more clean underwear. Maybe it wouldn't be all bad. It would give her an excuse to leave the house and sneak a moment away to call the Tulane Medical Center and find out if Klaus lied to her or not. If he didn't, then she'd use the chance to find out Tom's work schedule. Her sole mission was to find Tom and keep him and Stefan safe. She could not lose sight of that.

When she walked into the kitchen ready to tell Rebekah that she'd join her after a blood bag, Caroline paused in the doorway while watching the odd sight. Enzo sat at the kitchen table with his feet rudely propped up while Klaus and Rebekah stood on opposite ends of island countertop looking nearly ready to throw a stake at each other. 

Inspecting their fighting stances, Caroline realized she's heard them arguing on her way down. So absorbed in her thoughts she'd nearly missed it all. Shaking her head, she reprimanded herself internally, not wanting that to happen again. Not here. Not when she was essentially alone. Not when Klaus was her closest ally.

She recalled Rebekah mention shopping and the next thing she remembered was Klaus yelling something about snapped necks and compulsion. 

"You need to control everything Nik! How else did you think you were going to do it?" Rebekah screeched.

As she fully stepped into the kitchen she noticed Klaus' shoulders tense. Good, she thought to herself. He deserves a little discomfort after what he puts her through. When Rebekah met her eyes, Caroline decided her best course of action was sarcasm. So she spoke up with a shrug of her shoulders. "Let's not forget killing the people I love and emotional blackmail." 

"Good morning blondie," Enzo greeted, his smile far too chipper for the scene that was unfolding before him. "Nice of you to join the show."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline headed straight for the fridge for blood, purposefully ignoring Klaus despite the eyes following each of their movements. Rebekah and Enzo seemed to be on the edge of their seats waiting for who'd break the silence. The answer was quite obvious to Rebekah. Her brother hadn't been slighted, Caroline had. 

And so he spoke to her, voice confident and sure that he'd be forgiven. "Good morning to you too, love," he smirked. 

Ripping open a blood bag, unfortunately one Klaus got her, and he appeared rather smug about it when he noticed, Caroline caught his gaze with a glare. "Good morning, Klaus," she replied, her tone patronizing at best.

He couldn't help but smile. There was the fire he'd come to love. Caroline mistook his smile as smugness and grew more irritated. Hoping to speed things along, Klaus spoke as if nothing had happened. "I hear Rebekah is begging you to go shopping with her."

He was normalizing it and Caroline couldn't stand it. They had a blow up. He was acting entitled last night and right now and she was not in the mood. "Just stop, okay?"

The air seemed to freeze exactly where it was. Enzo watched on with curiosity while Rebekah realized Caroline had silenced Klaus and succeeded. "Do tell, love. What is it that I'm doing that displeases you?"

Frustrated, Caroline groaned. "That!" she exclaimed, gesturing to him. "Exactly that. You can't just do that!"

Clenching his jaw, Klaus was furious. He felt as if he was a child being admonished for a wrong he wasn't aware of. His voice dangerously low, he responded. "Would you care to elaborate what 'that' is? Wild hand gestures and vague statements don't wear well on my patience."

"Your patience?" Caroline asked incredulously while ripping into her blood bag, completely unaware of Enzo smirking and Rebekah watching on in a cross between amused and confused. "Oh my God, you started the argument yesterday and your patience is wearing thin?"

Klaus was poised to reply but Caroline cut him off in her barely contained rage. She didn't want to be anywhere near him and his annoying desire to forget his indiscretions. "No, you know what? Your patience can wait because I need some serious retail therapy if you're gonna help me save Stefan's life."

She nearly whooshed out of the kitchen but instead collected her blood bag and stormed out in a calm, collected manner. In the courtyard, Caroline waited for Rebekah to join her because as much as she now wanted to shop, she had no clue where anything was. She heard Rebekah give one last jab to Klaus before joining her. "At least one good thing came from your tantrum Nik."

Caroline almost felt bad for antagonizing him but she didn't want to think about it, at least not for a while. As a perfect distraction, her phone buzzed to life with a text from Enzo. 

E: Tom?

C: I'm getting an idea of where he'd be and calling a few places  
C: Maybe you should check some medical places, he was an EMT in ATL

E: On it, gorgeous

Caroline rolled her eyes at that as Rebekah walked right past her. "Let's go. We have plenty to do and I will not wait for you."

Sighing, Caroline knew she was in for an interesting day. Not only was Elliot tailing them, shopping with Rebekah felt like what Caroline imagined her friends felt when they shopped with her which was odd to say the least. When she finally decided that retail therapy really was in order, as well as new underwear, Caroline fell into a comfortable groove with Rebekah, which again was odd. 

There was a cake tasting at noon where Rebekah immediately began shouting at the baking chefs. She apparently wanted yellow cake with a lemon filling not a lemon cake with a custard filling "So?" Rebekah prompted Caroline after forcing her to taste every flavor she chose for the multi tiered cake. 

"So what?"

"I can't believe I'm about to say this, but your input would do right about now."

"You want my input?" Caroline asked incredulously. "I thought I had awful small town taste?"

"Yes, you do," Rebekah admitted. "But you're also the only uncompelled person who will give an honest opinion because we both share a penchant for party planning." Before Caroline could reply, Rebekah continued. "I can compel you but I figured this approach might be more successful."

Caroline thought for a moment and decided the blonde deserved her brutally honest opinion because that's exactly what Caroline had wanted while party planning and never got it. "I wouldn't do a raspberry filling with the red velvet, just stick to traditional cream cheese."

"Hmmm," Rebekah considered for a moment before nodding. "Okay, and?"

Caroline was taken a back for a moment. The original was actually taking her advice? She felt as if pigs were flying but she had to admit, she'd been feeling that since finding out Tom's blood made hybrids. Sighing, she conceded. "It's spring so I'd also do a multi tiered cupcake cake with the respective fillings maybe surrounding a one or two tiered cake."

Rebekah thought for a moment while testing the consistency of the white chocolate mousse filling. "It would be aesthetically pleasing," she commented. "Fine." A few more barked orders and Caroline couldn't believe she was helping plan this ball with Rebekah and hadn't wanted to tear each other's heart out yet.

Their next stop was an extravagant dress shop where Rebekah announced Caroline was getting a dress because she wasn't allowed to make an appearance at her ball dressed like a commoner. Yes, those were her exact words. 

"I don't need a dress," Caroline refused as the shop clerks greeted them. "I'm not going to your ball." 

"You will be in the house therefore you will be at the ball and you will be in a ball gown," Rebekah said with finality.

They were being escorted to the back of the store where fittings took place and Caroline finally asked the question she'd been dying to have answered. "What's so important about this ball?"

She however didn't get an answer until their clerk left to get Rebekah's tailored dress. "My brother is coming back to life, Caroline. Not that you'd understand seeing as you're an only child, but this is important."

She spoke with such disdain that Caroline nearly took a step back and did in fact try to understand. The Originals were not her favorite people. The less there were the less trouble for everyone. But being just a girl who lost her brother, okay, yeah, Caroline could understand that. 

"So you're throwing him a welcome home party?" she asked as a peace offering, like she understood, because really, she'd do anything to have her dad back. 

Whipping around at that, Rebekah met Caroline's eyes and Caroline could of sworn she saw an emotion she'd only ever seen in the Original after her failed (and stolen) homecoming dance. Sadness. With the blink of an eye it was gone and it was business as usual with Rebekah Mikaelson. 

"Yes. Now whatever you're planning on doing to or with Tom, don't."

This time Caroline did stand there in shock before composing herself quickly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Listen Caroline," Rebekah insisted, her voice verging on sinister while stepping closer to the other blonde. "I don't care for my brother's hybrids either but whatever it is you have planned to save everyone's lives, it can wait until I have my brother back."

Attempting to stutter out a response, Caroline was cut off once again by Rebekah. "Don't try to deny it. If you screw something up so Kol doesn't come back to us, Nik will not matter, I will rip your heart out. As long as you don't screw up, Nik doesn't need to know that I'm suspicious of your loyalties."

The only thing that struck a chord was not the threat to her life, but her supposed loyalty to Klaus. "I am not loyal to Klaus."

The tailor entered the dressing room just then and Rebekah quickly compelled them to be docile and forget everything they overhear once they're done. "Sweetie," Rebekah cooed. "Your scooby doo gang is in Mystic Falls. You are alone here and your closest allies are us. Don't screw it up."

"Gee, thanks for the friendly reminder," Caroline muttered while taking a seat so the seamstress could fit Rebekah into her gown.

"It's what I'm here for," Rebekah smiled at Caroline through the mirror she stood before. 

"Is that Zuhair Murad?" Caroline asked suddenly when the dress Rebekah wore actually came into sight. 

"Yes and it's gorgeous," she replied while smoothing down the silk that fell asymmetrically over the full tulle skirt. 

"That's his fall collection," Caroline remarked, admiring the tasteful gown from afar. 

"Well, well," Rebekah mused. "Small town Caroline Forbes actually knows something about fashion."

"I've always known a thing or two about fashion," Caroline shot back. "You were too busy stealing my position as head cheerleader to notice."

"Well, maybe you can put that fashion sense to good use and find yourself a gown."

"I'm not buying a ballgown."

"Then compel yourself one!" Rebekah exclaimed. "Honestly, you're a vampire for God's sakes. I will not have you ruining my extravagant ball with your small town garb."

For the sake of getting away from the Original, Caroline was ready to leave under the guise of perusing the selections. "I'll be back," she mumbled on her way out of the dressing room. 

She heard, she's sure everyone in the store heard, Rebekah call out to her, "You better be looking for a dress!"

She wasn't and didn't have any intention of looking. Instead, mapped out the store and realized Elliot was sitting across the street in the garden seating of a coffee shop. Rerouting herself, she headed towards the back of the store. She ignored every questioning gaze and finally found an exit. A truck was being unloaded in the back alley. Side stepping the workers, she made quick work of getting back on a main road while listening to Elliot. She couldn't let him hear her. Her best option was to get out of range of hearing him, hoping Elliot was still adjusting to vampire hearing so that her plan might actually work. Outside another small cafe that had much cuter garden seating, Caroline took a seat carefully and pulled out the numbers she'd gotten off line the night before via her phone. 

They were all numbers related to Tulane Medicine. Klaus had been vague and she knew for a purpose. But he also must have known that Caroline was nothing if not persistent. She'd collected 7 or 8 numbers and had every intention of calling each one to find Tom. 

The first 2 were a bust. The third was a wrong number. On the fourth call, the receptionist knew a Tom. But suddenly, Caroline was struck with how little she knew about Tom outside of his face and his name. After lying about having met him at a park and wanting to return something he'd left behind, the receptionist willingly gave Caroline a contact number and his hours for the next few days. Jotting it down, she hung up with a breath of relief. She'd found him. Now all she had to do was put together his escape plan. Meeting him however was also on the list. 

Deciding she'd been outside long enough, Caroline skipped back to the boutique to find Elliot unmoved across the street and Rebekah hadn't noticed she was gone. "Well?" was the Original's greeting. "I don't see a ball gown on your arm."

"That's because I'm not getting one," Caroline cheered back. Something in Rebekah had clearly snapped when she finally conceded, stepping closer to Caroline in a menacing manner. 

"Fine. Don't get a gown but don't you dare step anywhere near that house the night of the ball."

"Fine with me," Caroline replied, shrugging her shoulders and forcing Rebekah out of her personal space. 

Without saying a word, Rebekah stormed off leaving an annoyed Caroline behind. "And where are we going now?"

"My nails aren't going to paint themselves," Rebekah called over her shoulder before stepping out the door and not waiting for Caroline. 

That's how she spent the next few hours. While Rebekah stewed in Caroline's protestations for a dress, Caroline pampered herself with a mani-pedi and found a cute boutique for some new dresses and a few tops. It hadn't escaped her that Elliot remained on their trail, keeping out of their way and Caroline was almost certain it was for Rebekah's sanity by now, seeing as Caroline didn't mind his company. 

The sun was setting by the time Rebekah decided she was done shopping. Caroline had checked out much earlier. It was around that time that Enzo texted her wondering if she'd found anything about Tom. She'd quickly replied that she hadn't found anything but had a few places in mind to call. Enzo himself hadn't had any luck and Caroline couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She couldn't imagine what brash decision he'd make to fulfill his debt.

There was a plan (multiple plans not everyone knew about albeit) in place to save Tom and Stefan and Caroline would not let Enzo ruin it. So she returned to the compound with Rebekah, not entirely sure what to do with herself. She'd located Tom and had worked out a scenario of stepping out for a walk and losing Elliot to track him down. All she could do was hope Enzo didn't find out and wait for the Travelers to arrive with Stefan. 

As the hybrids began, grudgingly, unloading Rebekah's impulse buys, Klaus greeted the two at the gate. "Ahh, you're home. How was the shopping trip?" he asked, a rogue smile on his face. 

Rebekah simply rolled her eyes and began walking away. Not before calling back, "Caroline's not allowed to be home the night of the ball if she refuses to get a gown." With that, Rebekah stomped further into the house until she was another heartbeat amongst the undead in the compound. 

"I see it went well," Klaus chuckled. 

At that, Caroline scoffed and began walking away. "You're still upset with me," Klaus called out to her, not as a question, but a statement. 

Pausing, Caroline couldn't even connect the right words together to tell him that yes, she was still upset with him and that he needed to simply go away. Slowly, he came up behind her and she turned to face him. It was then Caroline noticed what he was wearing. Black jeans, a dark grey henley, and a black leather jacket. He looked like every bad boy she'd ever wanted all wrapped in one and it infuriated her. 

"Caroline," Klaus spoke slowly, her name a cadence to his own ears. "I need to speak with you. And I know you're angry love, but I need you to put aside your discontent with me for a moment."

She glared at him hard, arms crossed, gauging if he was speaking the truth. He was an Original but Caroline liked to thing she could spot a liar, even if it was Klaus. And in this case it wasn't. So she uncrossed her arms, softened her face and gestured for him to lead the way. 

He led her across the courtyard and near the back of the house where what she presumed was his study. It was dark yet light and airy all at once and she would have liked to have called it gaudy but so far everything she'd encountered in Klaus' home was tasteful and elegant yet homey. 

As he went to fix himself a drink, Caroline once again crossed her arms and asked, "What do you need?"

"I am attending Chereen's funeral tonight. Elliot has brought to my attention," he began while dropping ice in a tumbler before topping it off with some gin, "that Marcel was in your company when Chereen was killed." He motioned, silently asking her if she'd like a drink as well but she shook her head, declining.

"Yeah, so?" Caroline asked, not quite seeing the need to speak to her about it.

"Oh, well I did hope you'd do the talking from here," Klaus replied, his face expressionless, evaluating her every move.

"What?" Caroline scoffed. "Do you think I'm working with Marcel on some silly plot to take you down?"

Klaus leaned against his desk, legs stretched in front of him and tumbler in hand. He looked better than Caroline cared to admit. "It did cross my mind, briefly," Klaus mentioned, his head tilted the slightest bit as he spoke. "But I trust your judgment is better that what your friends believe it is. You would have seen right through his charisma."

He trusted her. Caroline couldn't remember the last time she'd heard that and it unconsciously made her loosen her staunch pose. "Not to mention if you were plotting on ending me, Tyler wouldn't have floundered for as long as he did."

Caroline stood there, thrown for a loop. Klaus had never shied away from making his advances toward her obvious but this, this was very different than gifting her a bracelet. He was telling her he trusted her, that he believed her smart enough to outsmart him. This was a far cry from what she'd grown used to hearing about herself. Usually it started with control freak and ended with bitch. 

Sighing, Caroline just wanted to process. There hadn't been enough time to process anything since arriving. So she kept her guards up and asked, "What do you want, Klaus?"

"Did he say anything to you?" he asked, pushing himself off the desk and beginning to pace. It was all business now, Caroline could tell by the way his shoulders tensed and hunched the slightest bit. "Did he make any indication of knowing who you are?" 

She finished his question in her head. She's sure he meant, "who you are to me?"

"He," Caroline began but paused because, what did Marcel uncover from overhearing her conversation with her mother? They mentioned everyone's name except Klaus, so they should mean nothing to him. But that look he gave her while Elliot was pulling her away from the bar said more than she wished it did.

Caroline changed course and instead said, "We didn't talk a lot. My mom called so I stepped out and talked to her. I'm sure he and Elliot over heard it but we didn't say your name."

Klaus paused mid stride. "Whose names did you say?"

"I don't know," Caroline said dismissively. "My mom mentioned Bonnie and Elena not knowing where I am and a missing Stefan and Damon missing Enzo, but she never said his name." As Caroline continued to talk her voice trailed off because names were exactly where Marcel would start and she was an idiot for not realizing sooner. She could have just endangered everyone in Mystic Falls. 

Klaus looked annoyed but meeting his gaze, it hit her. "But that doesn't mean he knows we're even connected in any way," she tried in vain. "And if it does he won't know for a few days, at least until he can get some intell," she proposed, foolishly hopeful.

"Caroline," Klaus pleaded, stepping forward and meeting her eyes. "I will ask you again. Did he make any indication of knowing who you may be?"

She stood before the Original Hybrid completely dumbfounded, her mind replaying that look on Marcel's face as Elliot dragged her away. "Caroline," Klaus pressed, gently grabbing her face to get her attention once again. 

"Yes," she whispered. "My mom mentioned you but she didn't use your name and Marcel looked like he knew everything he needed to know."

She could feel the anger emanating from his skin, vibrating in his finger tips where they rested gently on her neck. So when he pressed his forehead against hers gently she was taken aback until he let her go and paced one length of his desk. Turning back to her he asked, "What did she say?"

"Who? My mom?" At his nod Caroline thought how to word this but couldn't find a way to put it lightly. "She basically gave me her blessing cause she thought I was here pursuing you."

Suddenly the anger was gone and Klaus looked dumbstruck for once. Instead of allowing Caroline the glee of a Klaus not completely composed, he carefully schooled his features into a wry smile. "Mother dearest gave you her blessing?" he asked, his voice a sly coo before frowning playfully. "Well I'm rather ashamed, I never asked her for her blessing. Perhaps she would forgive me with a phone call?"

Glaring, Caroline crossed her arms and snapped, "Stay away from my mom. I'm not here for you."

"Of course you're not love, not now anyway."

"Oh please," Caroline scoffed. "I'm not here for you now and once Stefan is safe, I won't be back. Now can we please get back to saving my friends lives?"

Klaus bristled, having heard what he didn't ever want to. But Caroline was young and foolishly clinging to who she was, not considering who she could be: someone great and powerful, a Queen. "Of course. Let's return to perpetually saving your unfortunate friends."

"Good," Caroline stated, officially ending that conversation. "How's Marcel going to find out anything?"

"He will send someone to Mystic Falls. He knows I spent time there before discovering he was alive. It will be his first instinct and he will follow it."

"And once he does?"

"He will return with information. Your friends will, of course, foolishly befriend his spy and learn everything about your Mystic Falls gang and your connection to me."

Caroline wanted to ask, 'you mean how you love me but won't admit it or mention it or talk to me about it?' but refrained because being connected to Klaus while an enemy was seeking revenge was bad enough as it is, entering a discussion about how Klaus has no idea what love even is, is not on the list of things to do tonight. She did however want to defend her friends judgment but she knew better. They would seek out a new vampire in town to determine friend or foe. And if Marcel's spy is good, he'll know he needs to be friend no matter what. 

Instead she asked, "How do I protect them?"

Klaus paused before looking at Caroline precariously, stepping towards her. "Your concern should be here. There's not much Marcel can do to your friends nearly a thousand miles away. They have each other."

"Yeah, and I'm stuck here with you," Caroline rolled her eyes. "I don't need to be reminded."

"Well perhaps you do," Klaus gritted out. "Your safety, Caroline, is of the utmost important and the moment you entered New Orleans became my responsibility. You will not die here."

The need to defy him burned on the tip of her tongue but her lips, who knew his and his skin so well, they knew better. He spoke as if he were commanding her to stay alive yet his eyes told another story; he would not let her die. The safest place on earth for her was by his side and she hated it. The way he looked at her appeared as if he was waiting for her to disagree, to challenge him, but it never came. 

"Elliot will accompany you wherever you go. Expect a hidden entourage until Marcel discovers who--"

She cut him off in that fiery voice of hers he loved. "What?" she exclaimed. "Elliot, fine. I can deal with Elliot. A hidden entourage? No."

Klaus continued to talk over her, his eyes closed in frustration. "--you are. When he does you are not leaving my sight."

"What? You think you can keep me hidden away? That I'll listen?"

"Caroline," he growled. 

"No! I don't need someone to save me or protect me!"

"While I'd love to let you believe that," Klaus spoke firmly, his voice a low growl raising in a slow crescendo. "Right now you do. Marcel is tactical, I would know, I trained him. He is waiting for an opportunity and he will see one in you. Despite his deluded notion that this city was his, I took back something he valued and he desires to destroy me." As he spoke, his shoulders broadened while he towered over Caroline. Her eyes never left his gaze in a silent refusal to back down. "He is 200 years older than you," he stated, his eyes frantically imploring her to understand. "While no match for me, he will have your heart in his hand before you can even blink. And that will not happen."

Instead of defying him, Caroline wanted answers. Klaus couldn't do this to her. Tyler treated her like a porcelain doll, doing everything in his power to ensure she stayed out of the battle, things she wouldn't forgive anyone else for. She didn't expect this from Klaus. And as she thought about it, she didn't like it from Klaus. 

"Why don't you talk about it? Why not just say it?" She fumed. 

He leveled her with a stare, wondering briefly where she was going and if now was the time to play along. "About what, sweetheart?" he asked, heading back to the liquor cabinet to top of his drink.

"About how you feel," she stated, her eyes a storm of anger. The way his eyes briefly widened while turning away was enough to encourage Caroline to continue. "You can't protect me from everything. Not because it's so, way impractical or because I don't need it, but because you just don't get to. 

Hard faced, Klaus stepped forward and asked, "Why is that?"

"Because I say you don't."

"Is that so?" Klaus inquired, slowly stepping closer as if evaluating his prey. "I needn't remind you love that I don't take well to being told what to do. While you're here, under my protection, you would do well to remember that."

"I wasn't 'under your protection' when Silas came back, why were you so angry to hear about it then?" she finally spat out. "And don't you dare say my life was in danger, it's practically a prerequisite for being a vampire."

"You could have died!" Klaus practically roared. And while Caroline was mildly shocked, she stood her ground, refusing to be scared by his volatile moods. 

"Why is keeping me alive so important to you?" she exclaimed, frustrated and terrified of the answer she'd receive. She just wanted him to say it. He's shown it and promised it but he left and everyone always leaves. But she's here and he's here and she just wants to hear it, spoken, out loud, for once. 

Klaus' demeanor turned near murderous. "You dare ask me to spill my heart out when you so clearly still regard me in disgust and hostility?" Voice hoarse when it hit her ear drums, Caroline felt shivers race down her spine.

"I haven't regarded you in disgust or hostility since arriving," Caroline stated, her voice hard and determined. "I showed you the truth in the woods. Why can't you just say it?"

"Have I not shown you the truth?" Klaus asked, nearly appalled at the unspoken accusation. "I have shown forgiveness, kindness, patience, and pity where it was not due, for you. Have my actions not spoken louder than any words you would like me to say?"

Unwanted tears sprung to her eyes because yes, they have, but they haven't. The thought that had been plaguing her forever finally spilled out of her. "Yes, but you left. And everyone always leaves." Having the truth out in the air was suffocating, like the words were trying to come back in but her throat wouldn't let them. She met his eyes briefly, angry and soft all at once, before she walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So did I do Klaroline angst well? I hope I did. They're both feeling a lot of different emotions right now so if it feels like a whirlwind, good, it should. I know it's been forever and a half and I'm sorry. If you ever want to contact me or nudge me to update, I do have a tumblr, it's alovelydisasterr (yes, two r's), hit me up. I'm not an avid klaroline blogger but i'd be more than willing to talk about klaroline. Otherwise please share your thoughts? I'd love to hear what you guys have to say. I know this update was long but I couldn't cut it anywhere and I think you guys deserved it after waiting so long. 
> 
> Since I'm very visual, here's rebekah's dress, http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lybb41FlJK1r4p4nto1_500.jpg  
> (I know it's 2011-2012 fall winter line of zuhair murad but it's so cute let's all pretend it's 2014 spring collection. okay? okay.)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hiii everyone! Please don't hate me for taking forever in updating, it's been a really long past few months. I'm not as excited about this chapter and there isn't any Klaroline but it's incredibly important build up so please enjoy!

The sun was shining bright on the trio as they sat around a metal garden table outside a French bistro in the Garden District. The streets were crowded and the service was slow, but no one minded. They weren't really there to eat anyway, they were quietly searching and waiting. While the waiter came to take their orders, Marcel noted how Tyler sat closer to Hayley and wondered briefly if the boy was foolish or stubborn. In the end, he settled on both as stubborn is rather foolish. 

Upon hearing Caroline's name, Tyler demanded to see her face, to identify her, before divulging any information that could bring Klaus down or put Caroline at risk. Their meeting was impromptu, scheduled because one of Marcel's day walkers had spotted Caroline with Rebekah shopping in the Garden District all morning. 

"I don't see her," Tyler murmured before taking a long sip of his coffee. He wished it burnt his throat like it used to, even when he was a werewolf, but now he hardly felt anything. All that consumed him was an undying rage and an unrelenting desire for revenge. He needed to know first. He needed to know if Caroline was here, if she was safe. If she was, he'd have to fight the urge to do something, to get her away and keep her safe because she would undoubtedly be here for Klaus. He'd be lying if he didn't admit that finding out Caroline slept with Klaus hurt, because it did. In Mystic Falls he'd chosen to leave her but he had no intention on turning his back on them forever. He needed to extract his revenge, to quell the thirst for it burning within him before he could love Caroline again. But it seems she moved on.

Marcel's eyes danced over Tyler's schooled expression of boredom before glancing casually across the sunny street. It was busy but still quiet, a quietness that came with the sun having not quite reached the highest point in the sky yet. "She'll be here."

Hayley, however, said nothing. The only thing she could think to say was that she believed if Caroline was in New Orleans, it had to be for Klaus. No matter what Tyler thinks, Hayley saw the way the two interacted without rose colored glasses. The big bad hybrid had a soft spot for the blonde and anyone with eyes knew it. For now, she'd abide by Tyler's request of remaining mum until he decided when to share his secrets because she needed him. She needed all the help she could get to bring down Klaus because bringing down Klaus meant freeing her family and her pack from their confines in the Bayou.

"So, Tyler," Marcel drawled as if testing his name out for size. "You never did mention how you escaped the clutches of Klaus. Or even what you did." The smile on his face read his statement as a challenge. Before him sat a boy of 18 whose shoulders look broadened by luck and arrogance, not a man who could face an Original and live. 

Sitting back in his seat, Tyler ran his hand down his jeans slowly while thinking about what Marcel was playing at. He ran from Klaus. In all honestly, Klaus' favor for Caroline saved him. That bit of information would stay with him forever if it meant Caroline was safe another day and so was his pride. "I out ran him," Tyler stated vaguely. 

"So you were his new Katarina?" Marcel chuckled.

Face hardening, Tyler scowled. "I wasn't his little bitch if that's what you're getting at."

Leaning forward, Macel's cheshire grin grew slowly as he spoke. "But you were once his hybrid, sired to him. So weren't you? His little bitch then?"

Before Tyler could respond with violence, Hayley interrupted the two. "They're here. My one o'clock."

And yes they were. "Dammit," Tyler cursed. He'd recognize her blonde curls anywhere. While she looked at ease to the unassuming eye, Tyler knew Caroline was more aware than she usually is while shopping. No doubt it was because she was shopping with a volatile Original, Tyler thought to himself. So Caroline was in New Orleans, most likely for Klaus, and was suddenly best friends with Rebekah Mikaelson. "That's her," Tyler conceded to Marcel, shoulders deflating. Her being here complicated things. While yes, he is angry at her for sleeping with Klaus, he still cares about her, and this mess is not something he wants her caught in. 

"Well then, please tell me everything you know about this Caroline," Marcel mused, pleased to have his instinct validated. 

Squaring his shoulders and breathing out heavily, Tyler readied himself for negotiations. "I have conditions." 

"Conditions, really?" 

"Just tell him Ty so we can move on," Hayley rolled her eyes. 

"You keep Caroline out of this and I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"And if I don't? If she proves valuable to my triumph?" 

"Well you won't know if she is valuable unless I get a promise from you that she stays out of it. If you don't, you don't get my help or my knowledge about hybrids."

"And what is so important about your expertise?"

Tyler paused for a moment, smirking slightly. It was his chance to be smug, to force Marcel to realize he was a key player that couldn't be trivialized. "I was Klaus' first hybrid, but I was also the first to break the sire bond and broke the bonds of 12 other hybrids. Two years later and I live to tell the tale."

Marcel looked mildly impressed. Conceding, he said, "If she's Klaus' flavor of the week, she'll be dead before I could get my hands on her anyway. If she proves invaluable and my best shot at getting to Klaus, I will take the chance."

Shaking his head in frustration, Tyler continued. "You don't get it. She is your best shot and she stays out of it or no deal. I'll walk up to Klaus and tell him what you're up to right now." Tyler really had no intention of going anywhere near the hybrid but a bluff never hurt anyone while negotiating.

"What is she to you Lockwood?"

"Right now? A friend who I will keep alive."

"And what makes you think I can't do this without you?"

"Because Hayley and the wolves will never trust you; the hybrids will never trust you. But if you promise me she stays out of this, you will have my full loyalty in taking down Klaus."

"Full loyalty, is that right?" Marcel chuckled. "I wasn't going to kill her or anything but the way you're talking she sounds more valuable dead than alive."

Tyler frowned at that. If Caroline died because of Klaus, he knew Klaus would go insane and that unsettled him. "Trust me, killing her is the biggest mistake you'll ever make."

"You're not telling me a lot Lockwood and I don't like it. But fine, I'll bite. Fully loyal to me in taking down Klaus in exchange for that girl being kept out of it. Now tell me what I need to know about her."

Pausing for a moment, Tyler considered Marcel and his countenance. He was not a trustworthy person and Tyler fully expected him to break his end of the deal but at least Marcel would think Tyler an inexperienced kid who would keep his. "Fine," he huffed, silently wondering if he was making a mistake. "Klaus is in love with her and I'm sure she has some feelings for him too."

Marcel, who was once reclining, leaned forward. "I'm done playing around Lockwood. Who is she?"

Confused, Tyler met Hayley's equally confused gaze. "That's who she is," Hayley piped up. "Miss Caroline Forbes, the woman Klaus cares too much about in his weird, psychotic way."

"Klaus doesn't believe in love, he never has," Marcel stated, recalling a time when Klaus forced him to choose between eternity and love. As a human, he was inclined to choose love but Klaus had convinced him otherwise, that love was weakness and eternity was power. 

"Maybe he doesn't love her, but he's shown her care that no one else has seen," Tyler grumbled, not wanting to remember how the hybrid had eyes on his girlfriend.

"Wow," Marcel exclaimed before bursting into laughter. "Just wow. The vampire who claimed love is a vamp's greatest weakness is in love? How poetic. You have to be joking. Wait a minute," he paused in thought, a small smile on his face as realization dawned on him. "Is she the girl from Mystic Falls who--"

"Who Klaus slept with recently? Yeah, that's her," Tyler finished in disdain, a grimace on his face.

"Okay," Marcel smiled, sitting back in his seat light hearted. "So she's here for Klaus, is that it?"

"There's nothing else here for her," Tyler shrugged. "I can't imagine why else she'd be here."

Marcel pondered this while recalling his first meeting with her. "Now Lockwood," Marcel spoke quietly, the smile on his face slowly fading. "I think you should really tell me the truth now if you like your heart beating inside your chest."

Caught off guard, Hayley jumped in quickly to validate Tyler. "That's who she is Marcel and that has to be why she's here."

"Really?" he asked incredulously. "Then why is it when she first rolled into town, she told me her and her friend were just passing through?"

"Her friend?" Tyler asked suddenly. "Who was she with?" He waited eagerly for an answer, wondering who from Mystic Falls had accompanied her. 

Curiously, Marcel read Tyler's face before answering his question. The hybrid seemed completely unaware that his blonde friend wasn't here alone. "A guy named Enzo."

"Enzo?" Tyler asked, his voice louder than he intended. "Why would she be here with Enzo?"

"I don't know Lockwood, she's your friend, remember? You tell me."

"Caroline and Enzo don't even get along," Tyler pondered. He'd have to call Matt or Jeremy back home to see if everything's okay. Caroline would never willingly go anywhere with Enzo, at least Tyler didn't think she would. "Look," Tyler began to speak again with more resolve. "Believe me or not, I'm not lying. That's who Caroline is. A friend of mine who Klaus happens to care too much about and she stays out of this. Now, do we have a deal or not?"

Marcel paused, taking in Tyler for a moment longer before smiling his frighteningly charming grin and stretching out his hand. "Fully loyal to me Lockwood and we have a deal."

 

~~~~

She refused to cry. Too many of her tears had been spilt over stupid boys who just couldn't get the picture. She was Caroline Forbes and she did not cry. No matter how many times she told herself that she still couldn't help the few stray tears that spilled down her cheeks. Trying to distract herself, she willed herself to think about anything. Since becoming a vampire her short term memory had been extended and had become more vivid. Wracking her brain for any loose train of thought, Caroline paced the bedroom she was staying in.

She hadn't intended on saying anything to him. Hadn't wanted to have that conversation now or in her near future. Their feelings were a subject they both never discussed and she didn't know what had gotten into her. It was so damned frustrating how easy it was to talk to him sometimes. Some days he was the only meaningful conversation Caroline had that didn't involve doppelgangers and cures and cheer practice. They didn't need to have that conversation yet, the one she'd very nearly started. And that's the thing that unsettled her the most. Caroline had no idea what she needed for herself right now. All she knew was what needed to be done to save her friend's lives. 

Not wanting to think about Klaus anymore, she paced the room of his house and groaned loudly at the fact that he was just everywhere without even trying. Focusing, Caroline reminded herself that she's here to save Stefan's life. In order to do that she needed some smoke and mirrors to save Tom's life because saving the doppelganger wasn't a choice to Caroline. For far too many years she'd seen vampires use humans as expendable things and she wouldn't do it. Saving Tom was important. She wasn't Klaus or Damon, she was Caroline and humans and wolves and witches meant something to her. 

Witches. Caroline had heard more than once from the Originals of witches in New Orleans. Witches are bound to keep the balance. Not knowing that Stefan is a doppelganger also, they'll keep Tom alive at all costs. Yes, she'd have to fib and cover some blemishes but it could work. The witches wouldn't want Klaus making hybrids as much as Caroline didn't want Klaus making hybrids. They would help her save Tom. They had to. All she had to do now was figure out where to find a witch. 

 

~~~~

 

The Grill was quiet. It wasn't unusual for a week night. Matt knew the Grill was the weekend spot for Mystic Falls High School students and took comfort in quiet week nights where lone strangers chased their worries away with a bottle of gin. It was the quiet that gave Matt no qualms in answering a call from Tyler. He hadn't heard from his friend in days as if he'd just up and left town--which in all honesty wasn't all that strange to Matt anymore. 

"Hey, where you been Ty?" Matt greeted, tossing his bar rag on the counter and heading towards the back room. 

"It's a long story Matt," Tyler breathed out from the other end of the phone. "I need to ask you something."

"Yeah, shoot."

"Is Caroline okay?" The hesitation in Tyler's voice put Matt on guard, stopping him just short of crossing the threshold into the back room.

"Um, yeah man, she's fine," Matt answered slowly, his brow crinkled in confusion. "That last I heard of her she was headed to Atlanta with Damon's friend to track down Stefan's doppelganger." He was met with silence on the other end. "Hey, man, is everything all right? Are you all right?"

"Yeah man, I'm fine," Tyler answered far too quickly for Matt's liking. "Listen, if anything seems weird or something, let me know, okay?"

"Yeah, sure Ty, but are you gonna tell me where you are?" Matt asked, suddenly pacing behind the bar and ignoring the strange looks his patrons were giving him. "You've been AWOL and you're worrying me."

"Come on Matt," Tyler chuckled half heartedly. "I'm fine, I promise. Don't worry about me, just, be my eyes and ears for a bit, will you?"

"Yeah, of course I will. But man, if you're in trouble or anything, tell me, okay?"

"Right," Tyler answered as if he'd left the conversation before it even began. "I'll talk to you soon Matt, I've got to go."

"Yeah, whatever man," Matt replied before slipping his phone into his back pocket while shaking his head. His supernatural friends never made sense to him. Glancing up, Matt spotted the short stature of Bonnie Bennett stroll up to the bar with a determined look on her face. 

"Hey Matt," she greeted, hopping up on a bar stool. 

Sensing her mood, he grabbed a tumbler and put it down in front of her. "The hard stuff?" he asked in greeting. 

"Yes, please," she sighed.

"Everything all right?" he asked while pouring her some bourbon. 

"It could be better, but I'm alive. Well, sorta anyways."

"Yeah, that's a good way to look at it," Matt chuckled. While Bonnie did chuckle in response, Matt noticed it was a bit more forced than usual. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Bonnie replied flippantly. "I just, I have to ask you something and I really need you to not ask questions."

Shooting her a strange look, Matt relented, nodding at her to go right ahead. "I need the Traveler knife."

Matt stood before an expectant Bonnie dumbstruck. Of all the situations he'd never excepted this. "Bonnie, I can't just--"

"Please Matt," Bonnie pleaded, cutting him off. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think it was completely necessary."

"Then I need to ask questions," Matt countered. "Why is it completely necessary?"

"Its long and complicated," Bonnie sighed. Matt simply stared at her as if saying he had all the time in the world. "I'm going to New Orleans tomorrow. Caroline is there and she needs my help against the Travelers."

Taking a moment to let that sink in, Matt paused before stating the most obvious flaw in Bonnie's admission. "But the Travelers are here."

"Not for long," Bonnie replied. "The doppelganger they want is in New Orleans and you get one guess as to who's not giving him up."

Matt didn't even think before cursing under his breath, "Klaus."

"I told you it's complicated Matt. Please just give me the knife and when it's all over and we're safe, I'll bring it back and explain everything."

"When do we leave?" Matt asked instead. 

"Wait," Bonnie paused, not sure she heard right. "What? You're not going anywhere."

"Bonnie, Stefan, his doppelganger, and Caroline are in trouble. And I just got a strange call from Tyler five minutes ago. I'm not standing on the sidelines when my friends need me. So when do we leave?"

"Tyler called?"

"I'll explain on the road if you do."

Hesitating only a moment, Bonnie conceded, deciding maybe another driver wouldn't hurt. "We leave first thing tomorrow."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End note: How was it? Horrible? Lengthy? Unnecessary? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think! P.S, when you comment it encourages me to write faster :)  
> Oh, and btw, idk if Bonnie knew about the traveler knife at this point but for the sake of the story, yes, yes she does


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hii? I know it’s been forever but life got the best of me. I know this update will feel fillerish but I promise it’s all heading somewhere. I also apologize for typo’s, I don’t have a beta, I don’t know how having a beta works, and I don’t think I update regularly enough to have a beta, so sorry! If it’s anything horribly glaring, let me know please? Otherwise I usually proof read these at least 3 times before posting. Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 9 

Caroline's morning was spent rapidly exchanging text messages with Enzo. The stealthiest form of communication, they decided, was electronic, especially in a house full of vampires. Having decided the night before that witches were the way to go, Caroline realized she didn't have a clue where to find one. Lucky for her however, Enzo had spent his dinner with Rebekah who had let slip that the witches congregated in the St. Louis Cemetery just outside of the French Quarter. 

Being evasive, Caroline shot Enzo a vague text stating something along the lines of following a lead. Waiting for Elliot to be preoccupied, Rebekah to seek her entertainment for the day, and Klaus to lock himself in some mysterious room on the third floor, Caroline took a stroll along the back gardens keen on escaping right under everyone's nose. Not hearing any heartbeats near, Caroline shot one quick glance over her shoulder and dashed to the back of the garden against a brick wall and behind a rather large bush. Using her vampire strength, she jammed her fingers in the tiny spaces where the mortar was filled between the bricks and quietly flung herself over. Landing on her feet, Caroline paused, listening for footsteps or heartbeats. 

Not hearing anything, she quietly jogged down a small side street. Not seeing any hybrids, Caroline vampire ran out of sight in the vague direction of the cemetery. Not a minute later, Caroline found what had was clearly a cemetery with raised graves and mausoleums in all their withered and creepy glory a little ways down the street. On the edge of the cemetery sat a neat little home, the perfect place for a creepy witch, Caroline thought to herself. 

Pushing aside all horrible thoughts she may have of witches (because really the only ones she didn't like were the ones who gave her aneurysms) Caroline straightened her shoulders and readied herself for battle. This was the most important conversation she was going to have in New Orleans: the conversation to save Tom's life, and possibly her own. Shaking off the inkling of fear she felt, Caroline stepped up to the doorstep and readied herself to knock. Just as she raised her fist, the door swung open, revealing a petite brunette with a fight in her eyes. "What are you doing here vampire?"

Jaw dropped and at a loss for words, Caroline stood there like an idiot. This is not how she planned this meeting would go. "Do you not speak?" continued the mysterious brunette. 

Breaking out of her shock, Caroline bristled at the clear disdain with which the witch spoke. "I do speak, thank you very much. I just wasn't expecting to be met with the rudest witch ever."

Rolling her eyes, the witch began shutting the door while saying, "Leave."

"No," Caroline exclaimed, not willing to lose her chance at saving Tom's life. "I need your help." 

Glancing at Caroline's hands, the witch spotted a daylight ring on Caroline's index finger, immediately intrigued. "With what? You're already a daywalker."

Taking a deep breath, Caroline decided blunt honesty was really the only way to get the witches help at this point. "I want to save Tom Avery's life ."

The witch took pause, once again sizing up the strange vampire before her. "What do you know about Tom Avery?" she asked slowly. 

This time Caroline was the one who took pause, biting her tongue. Despite witches hating vampires, Klaus had explained the witches had a very compelling reason to be loyal to him: freedom. She didn't want to mention Klaus just yet but she knew why she needed to save Tom. "Enough to know that he's innocent. And that witches want to maintain the balance and what you're doing isn't any sort of balance."

The witch stared at Caroline in incredulity for the longest time before sighing and stating, "Wait here," before shutting the door for a moment. Caroline didn't know what to expect next but she wasn't expecting the witch to step outside, locking the door behind her. "Come on." And so Caroline followed cautiously as the mysterious witch led her to the path winding around the cemetery. 

"I'm Sophie. The head of my clan here. I don't know if you're delusional or have a God complex but what you want is impossible. I suggest you stop entertaining those ideas before Klaus, the big bad I know you've heard of because you wouldn’t be in this city if you didn’t, finds you and makes you stop."

Caroline wanted to believe Klaus wouldn't kill her–that he hadn't had his fill of her yet– but a small part of her knew he'd grow sick of her resistance soon. And that part didn't want to find out what would happen when that happened. Instead, Caroline played Sophie's game. "Is that why you're walking me, very slowly, around your cemetery? Just to tell me to stop?"

"No. I want to hear your plan. Hear how much thought you put into it, how viable it is."

"So you can tell Klaus," Caroline dead panned. 

Sophie paused, considering her words carefully. "So you do know Klaus?" Sophie asked, noting Caroline's nod in assent. "Then you're clearly delusional if you think you can stop him. Klaus is not the perfect ally, but he freed us from Marcel's tyranny. At least now we can practice freely. Witches keep the balance. If allowing Klaus to make hybrids keeps us close to our magic, then it's a sacrifice we have to make."

Caroline listened, realizing Sophie wasn’t one to reason. She had responded well to shock and it’s seceding intrigue. There were many things Caroline knew about Klaus and the hybrids that Sophie probably didn't and while shock was probably the only thing that got Caroline this audience in the first place, she had to be careful what she revealed. Glancing over the tombstones of the graveyard, Caroline contemplated her best course of action in seconds. "The threat to Tom's life isn't Klaus."

Sophie didn't miss a beat. "Look, I know you're a baby vampire and think you can take on the big bad with some older friends or a few stray witches, but you can't. So stop entertaining the idea. The last thing New Orleans needs is another war."

Now Caroline was annoyed. "The threat to Tom's life isn't Klaus because it's the Travelers," Caroline ground out, which seemed to have caught Sophie's attention enough to get her to stop walking. "I can help you, and you can help me, I just need your word that whatever is said here is never repeated to anyone, especially not Klaus." There it was. Everything that could get Caroline killed by Klaus’ hand if Sophie didn’t agree. It was a terrifying risk to take but she’d do anything to save anyone as innocent as Tom.

This had clearly thrown the witch for a loop. "Who are you?" Sophie asked, puzzled, sizing Caroline up once again. 

"I'm Caroline, thanks for finally bothering to ask." Caroline said with her perfect Miss Mystic Falls smile, holding herself together with the last bit of her nerves. "So, do we have a deal?"

"What? I keep us being in cahoots a secret and you help me end the creation of new hybrids?"

"And save Tom's life," and probably mine, Caroline didn't add. 

Sophie gave Caroline an imperceptible nod, followed by, "So what's the plan?"

"I double cross Klaus."

"I don't follow."

"The Travelers want Tom dead. Klaus and I want him alive. He thinks I want him alive here. You are going to help me get Tom the hell away from here when the Travelers arrive."

"Wait, what?" Sophie asked in a panic. "The Travelers are coming here? To New Orleans?"

Caroline couldn't understand the sheer horror on Sophie's face. "That's what they told me," she trailed off in response. 

"What they told you? Do you even know anything about the Travelers?" Sophie accused, her eyes wide. 

Offended, Caroline stood straight and spoke with no hesitation. "I know they're ancient witches who are threatening my friend’s lives and that's all I needed to know in order to recognize that they are a threat."

“They’re not just a threat to you, they’re a threat to everything supernatural.”

“Well than all the more reason for you to help me,” Caroline huffed, not liking the tone Sophie was speaking in to her. 

Sophie took a deep breath, as if to calm herself before she spoke again. “What do the Travelers want with Tom?”

“They’re not exactly chatty so sorry, I don’t know,” Caroline sniped a little unnecessarily. “All I know is Klaus struck a deal with them to bring Kol back in exchange for Tom which I’m assuming he’s gonna weasel his way out of which is where you’ll probably eventually come in and instead of keeping Tom just alive, I want to make sure he’s far, far away where Klaus cannot find him.”

Sophie looked on in incredulity. “You have no idea what you’re getting yourselves into. I don’t know what the Travelers want with Tom but all witches know that they want to destroy our supernatural world. They think our magic is perverted and needs to be cleansed. So if they want Tom, it must be something to that end.”

“You’re the witch, not me, so magic is your problem. I just want to save Tom.”

“You don’t get it,” Sophie laughed in desperation. “You are magic. Vampires were created from magic. They want to cleanse the world of the magic that created you.” 

The idea seemed impossible but if there’s one thing Caroline knows, it’s that nothing is impossible anymore. The Travelers wanted to cleanse the supernatural world? They’d take it stride. Just let them get to New Orleans first so she could figure out their M.O. 

“It looks like the only way of stopping them is protecting Tom, doesn’t it?” Caroline asked, reveling in Sophie proving herself that she could, and very well should, help Caroline. 

“Klaus is going to come to me soon to ensure Tom is well hidden, to create an escape plan for him if things go south,” Sophie continued, looking as if she was finally piecing things together in a calm, collected manner. “I’ll pretend it’s the first I’m hearing of it. In the mean time, I’m gonna do some research on the Travelers.”

Sticking out her hand, Caroline asked the witch, “So we have a deal?”

“God help me,” Sophie muttered under her breath before slipping her hand into Caroline’s, “we have a deal.”

Feeling the most accomplished she’d had in days, Caroline left the cemetery with her spirits higher than they probably should have been for simply striking a verbal deal. That is until she realized someone was following her. Taking a deep breath, Caroline began evasive maneuvers her mother had taught her with a bit of a vampire flare. 

Taking a leisurely right into an alley, Caroline quickly slipped behind a dumpster waiting to surprise her attacker. Peering over the edge of an incredibly smelly dumpster, Caroline was relieved and annoyed to find Enzo standing in the middle of the alley with that annoying smirk on his face. 

“Well hello, gorgeous. Fancy meeting you here.”

“What are you doing Enzo?” Caroline huffed in annoyance. “Why are you following me?”

“Just making sure Klaus’ hybrids didn’t follow you to your secret meeting with the witches. Which I’m assuming you weren’t telling me about, right?” 

He said it in such an indignant way Caroline almost felt remorse. Almost. “You also, I assume,” he continued, “weren’t going to tell me your plan all along was to keep Tom alive.”

Shutting her eyes briefly to collect her thoughts, Caroline didn’t quite know where to go from there. She had hoped Enzo would never know of her plan. That he’d think Klaus had outthought them and Caroline could celebrate her victory silently. “So you heard that,” is what decided to come out of her mouth.

“I heard quite a bit. But no worry, I won’t tell Klaus because frankly he’s of no use to me, but I will kill Tom. Whatever it takes, he will die.”

And this made Caroline’s blood boil for reasons she’d suppressed for quite some time. “Why? Why can’t he live a normal life away from all this supernatural crappy crappiness? He didn’t ask to be a doppelganger. Why can’t he have what we never did? What we can’t?”

Enzo looked at Caroline in what resembled pity and it forced Caroline’s spine to stand a little straighter. “I’m sorry love, but the Travelers have something I need. They will give it to me in exchange for Tom’s life.”

“So you lied?” Caroline asked incredulously. “They never saved your life, you just wanted something from them?” she continued, disgust obvious in her tone. “Did it ever occur to you that we could help you get that? Without the travelers?”

“What, you and your misfit gang of supernaturals all of whom have some sort of complex?” Caroline was poised to protest but Enzo continued. “I’ve taken the liberty of notifying Klaus you’ve snuck out of the compound. Your security detail will be arriving soon.”

And with that the conversation was over. Enzo walked out of the alley leaving Caroline frustrated and more alone than she’d ever been. Despite that, it took her half a second to realize standing in an alley a few blocks from the cemetery was not where she wanted to be found by Elliot, it would raise too many questions. Stepping out onto the main road, Caroline headed to a mass of green with a white archway with the letters ‘Armstrong’ written on it. It was a quiet park and being found in a park was infinitely better than an alley. 

Standing at the edge of a pond with her arms crossed, Caroline felt him enter the park. Simmering in her discontent, Caroline didn’t bother turning around, she waited for him to approach. Once he spotted her, he made his way over at a leisurely pace. It infuriated her. She’d expected Elliot to find her, not Klaus himself. 

“I see you didn’t listen,” he announced, standing dangerously close to her back. “Not that I should be surprised, but no matter, imagine how unpleasantly surprised I was to be told in the middle of my dear brother boring me to death about strategy and logistics that I discover you have completely disregarded my concern for your safety and snuck out of my home, and for what? To spend time with the ducks?”

There was a fury festering under each word he spoke into her ear as he stood behind her. Caroline shivered, recalling the last time he spoke directly into her ear, an unbidden memory. Quickly clearing her head of thoughts she had no business remembering, Caroline hoped her drama and acting skills were truly as good as her friends deemed. “I needed time alone, to think,” she declared. 

“I see,” Klaus replied evenly in that chilling voice he used on his prey while walking around her to stand beside her, his eyes never leaving her. “And it wasn’t within your astounding capability of knowing everything to let anyone else know this little piece of information. Perhaps Elliot? Or even myself?” 

Nothing had been going right as of late and Klaus berating Caroline like a child was so not happening right now. “Was it in my capability? Yes. Did I want to? No. The point of wanting time alone is actually being alone or is that beyond your astounding capability of understanding?” Caroline spat. 

Taking a deep breath, Klaus positioned himself right before her, his eyes hard and angry and commanding every bit of her attention. “The conversation we so pleasantly had last night cannot have escaped your memory—“

“What conversation?” Caroline cut in immediately. “From what I recall you were sitting on your high horse telling me what to do, like I was a child, expecting me to listen.”

“I expect you to be concerned for your safety,” he asserted

“And I expect you to recognize that I’m an adult and I can take care of myself.”

Sighing out a deep huff of air, Klaus stepped the slightest bit closer so the two stood toe to toe. “You are not safe here, Caroline,” he spoke slowly, his voice vibrating in a low, dangerous tone. “To my dismay, there are people who are out of my control. I cannot stop you on your painstaking endeavor to save Stefan’s life, but I can however protect you from ending your life in the process. Do you understand?”

Unrelenting, Caroline stared into Klaus’ hard, angry eyes for a beat before realizing she in fact did have an advantage. “I want to meet Tom.”

Stunned for a brief moment, Klaus took a step back. “Are you negotiating?” he asked incredulously. 

“Well it seems like that’s the only way we’ll both get what we want,” Caroline replied. “So if you want me agreeing to your ridiculous security protocol, I want to meet Tom first.” She didn’t realize how sound of a plan it was until the words had come out of her mouth. So long as Klaus didn’t wipe Tom’s memory, meeting Tom in Klaus’ presence would further incline Tom to believe her when she intended to meet him privately later. What she would say later, she had no clue, but for now, meeting Tom with Klaus sounded like the best plan she’d had, after striking a deal with the witches, since arriving in New Orleans.

“One condition.”

“You so do not get conditions,” Caroline interjected angrily. “I’m already compromising more than enough.”

“Oh contrare, love. Negotiations have various conditions,” Klaus drawled, smiling as if he was declaring victory. “You’ll agree to my security and will see Tom today if you so wish, so long as you accompany me to dinner tonight.”

Caroline paused, mulling over Klaus’ words. “Like a date?”

“Come now, love,” Klaus smiled patronizingly, “don’t sound so repulsed. It wouldn’t be our first.”

She so did not consider the pageant last year a date, even if she did have a wonderful time—something she would never admit to the man in front of her. Even so, she was putting herself in a precarious position. Agreeing to be surrounded by security would make Caroline’s ultimate mission infinitely more difficult. Not only would Klaus ensure she wouldn’t have time to herself to sneak away, he’d make it so it would be near impossible for her to shake Elliot of the other hybrids off. 

One last ditch effort could free her and she’d have to rely on her friends as usual. “Only, and I seriously mean only, if when Bonnie comes, we get girl time. No security, no vampires or hybrids, and no you,” Caroline stated pointedly. “And, I want what you said last night to stand. Subtle, very far away, security until your big bad enemy figures out who I am.”

Klaus was entirely too amused throughout their entire negotiation, Caroline noted. It was mildly infuriating the way he smiled at her knowingly when she drew another condition. “As long as you and Bonnie are in the compound I see no reason why anyone should bother you. While you are out, I will only concede to, as you put it, ‘subtle, very far away security’, even after Marcel learns who you are. So long as you give me your word to be civil throughout our dinner, I believe we have a deal.”

Thoroughly miffed about everything, Caroline nods her head in agreement thinking this is what it must feel like making a deal with the devil. “Fine, you have a deal.”

“Good. Now shall we head back to the compound?” 

An angry noise escaped Caroline’s throat at Klaus’ pleased face before she stomped off, knowing he’d catch up eventually. 

 

~

 

They’d taken his daylight ring and kept him in a makeshift cell for what felt like days now. He hadn’t talked, defiantly refused. Klaus had specific instructions about being captured: do not divulge any information that won’t save your life. The sire bond compelled Perry to take the torture of the cruel mixture of wolfsbane and vervain while silently damning Klaus and praying Chereen was magically alive. If anything, all of this would have been worth it if she made it out alive. The terrifying part was waiting for the sire bond to let him speak. It wouldn’t be too long after that that he’d either die or be kept just barely alive for some bargaining chip. 

The door to his cell opened, revealing the hybrid Perry had never met or heard of before. His name was Tyler, apparently he’d broken his sire bond from Klaus and made the packless life sound desirable. Perry couldn’t wait to rip his throat out with his pack. 

“So Perry,” the strange hybrid announced, that stupid smile on his face again. “Why don’t you tell me how you became a hybrid?”

Even if Perry wanted to open his mouth and say something, nothing would come out. So he sat there staring at Tyler as if Perry was the sane one in the room. 

“Let me guess,” Tyler continued, pacing the room as he spoke. “Klaus told you not to say anything when you’re captured. He told us the same thing. The thing was, we were still able to talk, just not answer direct questions. So come on, have a conversation with me here Perry.”

Sitting up a little straighter while wincing, Perry never took his eyes off Tyler until he spat at his feet. Slowly, letting his anger at being captured once again be felt by Tyler, Perry sat back against the dirty wall. “You’ll die for this,” Perry finally spoke, his voice hoarse from no use. 

Leaning forward with a smirk on his face, Tyler spoke in a low voice only Perry’s vampire hearing could pick up. “Klaus hasn’t got me yet, what makes you think he will?” Before Perry could even consider the words, another bucket of poison had rained down on him, burning his flesh. Tyler tossed the bucket and left Perry in a screaming, writhing mess while he blew out the breath of bravery he’d been holding for the task of torture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So reviews are always encouraging! Does anyone have any fabulous ideas for the first NOLA Klaroline date? If so, send them my way! Also, I have to say I love the negotiation bit in the middle. I always had in my head that Klaroline would negotiate a lot in NOLA and Klaus would look on adoringly and with amusement every time that they did because this was a Queen wielding a power she didn’t quite knew she possessed and Caroline would naturally be annoyed with him because she didn’t get it. Anyway, I hope you liked it enough to leave a review!
> 
> I know the Sophie and witches scene may have felt cumbersome but it needed to happen because it wasn't something I could write off in a sentence. Caroline was taking a HUGE risk going to the witches while not knowing how loyal they are to Klaus. So I hoped it was believable because to be honest that scene is what really held up this chapter (aside from that tiny little thing called my life).


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